


One heart

by Zeruby



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, During The Hobbit, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Dwarves, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fantasy, Gandalf Ships It, Maybe - Freeform, Or not, Sooner or later there will be Romance, Stubborn Dwarves, Thorin is a Softie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-08-15 01:52:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 55,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8037580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeruby/pseuds/Zeruby
Summary: Three young woman in their early twenties get themselves in Middle Earth and they have no idea why or how. Maybe because of some sort of magic? Or because of Valars? Well, Ellie, Vera and Miliyana start their adventure with Bilbo, Gandalf and 13 dwarfs to reclaim Erebor. And this is when everything is getting just more complicated.





	1. New beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Just this one time I'm gonna apologize for my bad grammar. :3

If someone would have told to me that one year later I would be complete different person, not because I suddenly got sporty or shit like that, but because I ended up on adventure in some fictional story, I'd hit them hard. Well, adventure is another thing, but somewhere unknown place with things that could kill me under a minute? Nope! Big nope! If I would like to go to an dangerous adventure, I'd go to Australia.

And yet, here I was, leaning to the big tree, my head spinning and hurting like hell. Somewhere, where the grass was more green than your neighbors grass. I had no idea, why I were there, how I had gotten in there and who was this tiny... little... guy (dude? man? short dude?)... staring at me and two other young woman.  
"Oh dear" it spoke! I stared at him, my eye's bigger than plates. "You're injured!" Injured? Who, me? Looking down at myself I saw no visible injuries. So, I automatically touched my head. Yeah, there was something dried up on my face. And, well yeah, my head hurt, so guess I had hit my head on something. To the tree, probably. And yet it didn't make sense, that I had dried blood on my face. I mean, why would the blood flow on my face, if I had hit my back of the head.

I laid my eyes to two other person on the ground. Ahh, right... I was doing something with somewhere with my two friends, Miliyana and Vera. My tough's were a little gloomy, so I didn't, or couln't remember, what I'd been doing with them. Neither of them weren't moving, so I tried to push my self up. If I were hurt, they had to be too. Leaning to tree, little by little I got up. Trying to move, stand up, or really do anything, caused my head spin and hurt even more. I leaned to tree, trying to get rid of the pain and confusion. Then, I turned to look the shorty, who really was shorter than I. And I usually felt myself short for being only 157 centimeters tall.

This short guy, with brown curly hair, moved carefully closer to me and was about to say something, when my eye's shot big, my heart skipped at least one beat and the world around me seemed even more unreal. I remembered an ugly guy, looking at me and my friends and shouting something I could no understand. We ran until someone saved us and left us here. And, if my brains didn't fail me, this guy was wearing grey robe and hat. And he had a staff, maybe?

"What's wrong? You look kind of pale" little guy asked, looking more and more uncomfortable. I turned my dark green eyes to his brown ones.  
"We were attacked" I could only say, merely louder than a whisper. He's eyes got probably bigger than mine in whole few minutes I had stayed conscious, and he seemed like he'd freak out any moment now.

* * *

Evening sun was setting and in hour or two stars and the moon would take over the sky. But for me, that wasn't the top priority now. To be honest, I didn't even care what time of the day it was. My mind was a maze of my own toughs. I was trying to understand the situation I was in with my friends, how and why we were in Arda, or Middle Earth (in world that should not exist!) and what timeline we were in. This world was real only in books and movies. I'd never read nether The Hobbit or The Lord of The rings books, but I had seen the movies and loved them. Never had I been that big fan that I would have check any fun facts or other stuff about them, all I knew were from the movies (well, what I could remember) and from fanfiction's. And I couldn't even be sure, what all was true in fanfictions. Motionlessly I was sitting on chair, staring outside.

This little creature, a Hobbit called Bilbo Baggins, had taken us to his house, nursed our injuries and even let us stay there until our wounds were healed. He had carried Vera on piggyback and I had carried Miliyana on piggy back too. It took us nearly an hour to get to Bilbo's house, even tough hobbit said his house was nearby. Talk about relative sense of distance.

Vera had woken up on early evening, being as confused as me. Her long, dark brown hair was still a mess and her dark blue eyes were half curious and half confused, well until she saw Bilbo. Poor hobbit looked like he could have a heart attack. Vera looked in strange situations (when she was scared or something like that) like an serial killer, who could and would cut her way trough six steel wall. Well, literally. For Bilbo's luck, and for Vera's mental state, it was good that she calmed down a little and went outside. And there she was still sitting, staring ahead and taking in the beautiful sight (what ever she liked it or not). Vera had had bruises and cut on her cheek. Other than that, she was alright. Miliyana had a broken arm and she had had hit her head, since she was still unconscious. We all were hurt, yet alive.  

"Ellie, I made some tea for you and Vera" Bilbo called from kitchen.

"Thank you, Bilbo. I'll go and get Vera" I said and stood up. 

Opening the green, round door I met spring-like, warm weather. Sun was even more down, sky was colored with orange, pink and yellow. I let my eyes wander to the bench, where Vera sat. Taking my course to there, I turned my glance to fat hobbit, who was giving us a hard look as he walked by. Not single hobbit besides Bilbo had looked me and girls like normal human beings when we came here. And well, that was understandable. We were all injured and covered in blood.

"Oi, marimo, Bilbo made us some tea" I called behind Vera. She huffed, rolled over her shoulder and stared something on front of her.

"Get your ugly ass up and get it in the kitchen" I  finish and turn back to the door. Someone could really get horrified how I talk to Vera, but to be honest... That's how we talk to each other. We always use the phrase _"We're in that state of our friendship where we can even mock our mothers"_  . And really, no one seems to understand that, and no one seems to believe that kind of friendship even exists. Offensive humor is the best kind of humor.

"Hey Ellie" Vera's quiet voice stopped me. I stood there, my back on her. Her voice... The side of her face.... It wasn't same Vera I used to know. It was like something had already changed her.

"Hmm?" was all that left from me.

"Do you still feel that ripping pain in your soul and, well, everywhere in your body? The same pain, when we got here in Middle Earth?" Vera's voice was quiet as if she didn't want anyone else but me to hear her. Her question took me of guard. Well, sort of. Did I remember? Yes, yes I did. But did i feel it? Well, kind of. The ripping, burning pain in every inch of your body, soul and unit. Like thousands of demons were pinching you, harder every second. It felt like you couldn't even breathe, like your heart would explode and it still kept beating. How could I forget that.

"Yeah..."

* * *

"Here you go, warm chamomile tea and cherry pie. And I just check your friend Mily, she's recovering well. She's still unconscious, but other than that she's fine" Bilbo said, smiling. Whatever he was enjoying serving his new guest or was just happy to have some company, Valars only knew.

"Thanks, Bilbo" Vera said before sipping her tea.

"Thank you, you're being so kind to us" I said, smiling myself. This brought even bigger smile on Bilbo's face. He got himself cup of tea and big slice of pie before sitting down. We ate in silence, although it wasn't so awkward as it could have been.  

Ten minutes and two tea cups later Bilbo finally decided to break the silence. And this wasn't nice conversation to any one us.

"So, um... I know this isn't any of my business, but... How did the three of you get in that situation? Ellie mentioned that you were attacked, but by whom? And why? And where are you from? Because it seems to me that you are of race of men and well, your clothing is quite odd to me, to be honest." Bilbo's verbal coffin opened after the first word came out and only shut down because he made himself shut up.

Vera and I exchange looks. What should we tell him? Half truth? Full truth? We both knew where we were, that we're not suppose to be here and we both knew very well that Bilbo could be trusted. And by fact that Bilbo wasn't that old and Frodo was nowhere to be seen, we could assume that this was before the Fellowship destroyed the Ring. Whatever Bilbo had been on his adventure, we weren't so sure. We could tell him the full truth, bring along his journey to Erebor with Gandalf and the dwarfs. Well, whatever he should stay conscious after hearing our story. Vera nodded and motioned me to talk. Great. Asshole.

"Well, we do own you am explanation. We... This might be hard to believe, but... Yeah, we're not around here, we are not in fact from Arda at all. We come from another place..."

"Like another dimension, another world" Vera interrupted. I shot a glare to her and then looked Bilbo again, tea already forgotten.

"I'm not entire sure how we got here, but I believe it had something to do with magic and someone more powerful than we are. Like wizards or Gods or someone like that. After we got here, we tried to find a civilization. Mily had already hurt her hand so we needed to find a doctor to her..."

"Wait, wait... Find a  _what_?" Bilbo interrupted, his brow nearly together.

"A doctor. I believe doctors are called healers around here" Vera informed Bilbo. Bilbo made a silent "Oh" with his mouth and then motioned me to talk. So Bilbo was just going to let me continue to tell our little story? Was he actually believing me, or did he think I was bluffing but wanted to hear more just for his amusement?

"Anyway, we were looking for help for Mily, and for us too. We were hungry, thirsty and tired. We were in the forest when those men attacked on us. By some miracle they didn't kill us on instant and we have only bruises on us. We got a chance to run away from them, and we got ourselves near Bree, where we were saved by a wizard" this is were I paused to look Vera. She only raised other brow, motioning me to keep talking. I turned to look at Bilbo and half smiled to him.

"He said he's name is Gandalf the Grey. Maybe you know him?" For a second Bilbo looked confused, then his face lit up. He snapped hid fingers and then pointed at me.

"Ah, yes, I recall the name. He made just an excellent fireworks. The old Tuk used to have them on midsummer's eve! ... Didn't know he was still on business, to be honest" Bilbo said. Well, if that was all he remembered from Gandalf, then we were here right in time. Well, kind of. Me and Vera glanced at each other and shared a little smirk.

"And where else should he be?" I asked from Bilbo. Vera smirked even more as Bilbo murmured something and drank he's tee, glaring at Vera. "Well, whatever. He was just saying something about hobbits and The Shire, so I thought you could know him. And if he's coming here, I'd like to meet him again. Because we certainly not should be here, not in this world" I said. Bilbo paused drinking his tea and looked at me with questioning eyes, brows nearly together. Then he laid down he's tea cup and looked at us with concern.

"And why is that?" he asked. Vera leaned more on her hand, smirking and enjoying the moment, unlike me and Bilbo.

"Bilbo, as I already told you, we are not from Arda. We come from faraway place that is not even on this planet, this universe. In our world your world, as well as your life is a book, a fictional story. So that's why we should not be here. I wan't to get back home before we ruin the story. And, well, if you don't believe me, then wait for the wizard. He's coming here to ask you on adventure, and later the companion of 13 dwarf's come's to pay you a visit" I explained myself to Bilbo as clearly as I could. Bilbo looked a bit shocked, yes. His mouth fell open, his brow was still together and he stared me for a full minute without saying anything. He then pointed me, having almost the same furious feature on his face. Only now his mouth was closed.

"You're telling me that a bloody wizard is coming here to invite me an adventure? And 13 dwarf - for my feet's curly hair's sake - are coming here too, to mess my house and eat all of my food?!" Bilbo asked angrily. Vera snarted and even I had a little smile. For all he knew by now and this was the thing he got angry, picked up to talk? And well...

"That's exactly what's gonna happen, when the dwarf's come here. Though, it's up to you now, what ever gonna happen to your house and your food" Vera said, smile still playing on her lips.


	2. Never back down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, I forgot to mention that this is written in Ellie's Pov. C: And if someone didn't get it, Miliyana's nickname is Mily.

"Bilbo, what an earth are you doing?" I was asking from Bilbo, who was literally running from place to place, opening the doors of cabinet's, pantry's and other's room's. He never stopped to answer me and before I could ask again, he went outside, slamming the door behind him.

  
"Okay then... That was weird" I said and sat back on the chair. Vera throw rest of her biscuit she had found in her mouth and then looked at me.

  
"You can't say this hasn't been weird day in its entirety, for all of us. Maybe the poor guy just needs some fresh air" she said. Yes, this day had been weird - and long - but for Gods sake, as if he was the only one who needed fresh air. I needed to take my brains out and take them on long walk.

  
"Did he even believe us? Do you believe we really are here?" I was shaking my head and then looked Vera, waiting for her answer. She rolled her eyes to me and half smiled, sadly.

  
"That pain felt so real, so yes, I believe we are here. We neither died in our world in fire or somehow, and our spirit got transported here, or then we really transferred here while we were sleeping. 'Cause last thing I remember from our world is when I got to bed" Vera said and started gnaw her nails. "And that hobbit? He seemed like he believed us, which is a miracle"

Fuck the miracles.

* * *

Next morning I woke up for the smell of few different foods. Standing up from the bed and going to the kitchen I met Bilbo bustling in front of oven. He was humming some song I didn't recognize. I stood there some time, just watching him and smiling a little. Bilbo seemed calmed down from last evening, or then he was trying to distract his thoughts by doing something. Which was actually pretty understandable.

Last evening Bilbo had been out for an hour, maybe even longer, before coming back inside. Vera had checked if he was outside of his house, but Bilbo was nowhere to be seen. After coming back, he had apologized for living so suddenly and left that for that. I and Vera didn't ask him what he'd been doing or where he had gone, he would tell us if he found it necessary. We only made it sure he believed our story. And, yes, he did.  _"Though it sure is hard to believe that someone would enter to another story from another one. But, magic, wizards and Valars are something I do not understand fully, so..."_ So, Bilbo thought we came from another story. I secretly started to wish we would have entered to Narnia.

Finally, stealing one last glance through the kitchen, I went next to Bilbo and smiled to him.

"Good morning" I said, smiling a little to Bilbo. Bilbo looked up for me and smiled.

"Good morning, Ellie. Breakfast is ready soon, so could you please go and wake Vera?" he asked. Nodding I went to Vera's bedroom and woke her up, not so gently. It had always been one of my favorite things to wake Vera up. She's one heavy sleeper, and one could really go and prank her in many ways. Whipped cream on the hand and tickle her nose, drawing on her face with water proof marker pen and dressing up as a serial killer for example. But now I didn't do anything as bad, I didn't wan't to get Vera AND Bilbo on my back. Just tossed her blanket on the floor, tickled her feet and threatened to eat her food. And when she didn't stand up, I spilled cold water on her face.

"Shame I don't have any habanero pepper with me. Could make you eat it and watch you burn" I called from the door and left back to the kitchen. Bilbo watched me his brows near his hairline.

"What an earth did you do with cup of water?" he asked. I grinned and pointed behind me.

"Just needed to wake Vera up" I told him, since he still didn't seem to get my hint. A little smile rose for his lips and he turned to serve the breakfast. He had made some porridge, bacon, eggs, bread and several fresh vegetables. I smiled as I helped Bilbo to carry all this to the dining room. I never ate this well on the morning, piece of bread and coffee at it's peak.

Just when everything was set on the table, Vera stomped in the dining room, still looking tired.

"Mornin', Bilbo" she yawned and sat nearest chair. Her hair was on messy bun and she still looked like she could sleep another 12 hours. I sat down and started to take food for myself. Porridge for another plate, bacon, eggs and bread for another. And big cup of camomile tea.

"Good morning, Vera. Did you sleep well?" Bilbo asked while he took some porridge for himself. I wanted to snart, of course he asked that from Vera but not for me.

"Yeah, pretty well. Though I could have use some more sleep" Vera said the last part looking significantly at me. I uplifted my shoulders and started to eat. If she wanted to sleep and miss warm breakfast, then it was her loss. When no one answered to Vera, she started to take food for herself. Few minutes went in full silence, the tree of us just enjoying the food. In the end, it wasn't any of us who broke the silence.

"Oh, hey, morning girls. Didn't know you guys were up already" familiar voice called at the door behind us. Startled I and Vera turned around to see well recovered Miliyana at the door, smiling and looking well.

"Mily! When did you wake up?" I asked, halfly stood from my chair. Vera was up too, her eyes widen. Nether one of us hadn't excepted to see her up yet. "You OK?" Vera questioned. Mily nodded and came to sit next to me. Bilbo had disappeared to kitchen to get some cutlery for Mily.

"I'm fine, minus my hand. It doesn't hurt anymore, but it's still broken. I woke up first time on the night, when everyone were sleeping. I didn't want to wake anyone, so I served myself what I could find. And yes, at the time I was already fine. I just went back to bed after I had eaten and stayed up some time. Next time I woke in the early morning. You two were still snoring like little pigs. Bilbo was up already so he check my hand and made sure I'm really OK" Mily said lively. Well, it sure was good to see and hear that she was doing well.

* * *

After the breakfast, Bilbo started to ask us about the dwarfs, the wizard and the quest. And we answered as well as we could, mentioning the danger, including Smaug the terrifying dragon. Just that Bilbo won't get heart attack when Bofur mentions about him. It. After Bilbo had taken a moment after hearing about the dangers, he wanted to make sure what he's guests would eat ( _"Meat, meat and more meat. Well, everything else but salad"_ ) and when they would come ( _"Not sure, but they left in book in springtime, so in this spring, or next, or the next one after that...."_ ). Bilbo sighed hard and massaged his temple's. 

"I am not sure, what to think about them, the dwarf's. And this quest and everything that pertain to it. But, if you three are here and if you are leaving on the quest, I'll think about it" he said and some reason looked at me in the eyes. I nodded, automatically. I would go, if dwarf's just would have me, "have my service". And if Thorin wouldn't kill me because I wanted to join the company.

"Well, we have to get back to home and to do so, we must travel to Rivendell. The elves may help us to get back to our world. And they stop in there in the story" Mily said. Bilbo was looking at her, thinking hard at something. Then, he's eyes drifted to Vera and then to me. Bilbo was still thinking about everything. Should he leave or not? Should he risk everything, the comfort of home and his normal life, for the quest where he may not even return.

"I'd like to help them, the dwarfs. They lost their home, so if there's anything I can do to help them, I will. I'm not going home, I'm going to an adventure" I said, looked at girls and smirked to them. Vera rolled her eyes and smirked back.  _"Oh you, little...!"_ she signaled to me. Mily shuddered her shoulders and sighed.

"If  Ellie's going, I'm going too" Vera said and smiled to Bilbo. "And well keep company to you, if the dwarfs are going to be mean to you. Or if you are going to be scared" Vera smirked, and started to laugh when Bilbo was glaring at her and muttering curses. Mily was smiling a little and shaking her head.

"I still don't like this, but... Oh well, some one has to look after these lil' kiddos" she said and looked at me and Vera like mother who was disappointed at her children.

"Well, if that is the case, then... maybe I'll go. The rest depends on the dwarfs. And Gandalf" Bilbo sighed and smiled sadly at us.


	3. Breathe

Days passed, we got in our lives in the Shire and the Hobbits started to take liking on us. Well, after they had heard that Bilbo had saved us  _'after some random, horny drunken guys had attacked us"._ And the hobbits believed our halfly lied truth. Yes, we were attacked by some guys, but no, they weren't drunk, and most likely not horny guys. They just... wanted to kill us, maybe by some ones orders or just 'cause they wanted to.

This particularly morning started with warm and sunny, and just a few clouds on the sky. After the breakfast Vera and Bilbo were sitting on the bench, looking at clearing scene in front of them and enjoying their morning pipes. Every morning - in almost two and half weeks - they'd been smoking their pipes on the bench after breakfast. And yes, Vera was smoking. While me and Mily cleaned the kitchen and dining room and accompany them after that. This was starting to be normal daily chore to us, but now it seemed to be disturbed by none other than Gandalf the Grey. It started with Bilbo blowing his smoke ring - he had been teaching that to Vera - when Gandalf had made an smoke-bird and showed it on Bilbo's face. Bilbo had been startled, as had been Vera when he realized who this older man was.

"Good morning" Bilbo greeted, after he recovered from his shock. Now he was just frowning, probably wondering was this the same man the three girls were talking about. Gandalf was old, yes, but now you could say that don't let the looks fool you. An old man who looked like a traveler with his gray ropes and pointy had and long walking stick might just turn you into an frog, if you weren't ready.

"What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it to be or not? Or perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning?" Bilbo and Vera shared looks and focused then on Gandalf again. "Or are you simply stating that it is a morning to be good on?” A little smiled grew on Vera's face. This was far more better to see and hear for real, than in the movies or in book.

"All at once, I suppose" Bilbo replies, glancing at Vera yet again. She uplifted her eyebrows and looked then Gandalf, who was now focusing his curious gaze at her.

"Mornin', sir" Vera said, not so sure how to call him. Was calling him sir OK? Or should she just call him Master wizard? Or just familiarly call him Gandalf. Yet, sir seemed more fitting. And brought even a little bigger smile on Gandalf's face.

"Good morning to you too, miss...?" Gandalf left the rest hanging in the air. Vera smiled a little to the wizard and lifted the pipe in her mouth.

"Vera. My name is Vera. And this is master Bilbo Baggins, though I think you know that already. Two of my friends are inside cleaning the dining room, if you want to meet them?" Vera told Gandalf cheerfully. Oh how she had been waiting on this adventure. She did want to see the world outside of the shire, not just the borders of it. Vera had been taking long walks around the Shire, alone or with the girls. Bilbo, next to her, was looking at her and then the wizard with a little frown on his face.

"Well, I was just looking for one particular person for my business, but maybe I could consider you and your friends too" Gandalf said and leaned more on his staff. Vera nodded and gave her pipe to Bilbo, smiling to him reassuringly.

"Just a minute then, I'll go and get them" Vera said and was on her way inside before Bilbo nor Gandalf could say noodle.

* * *

"WHAT?! He's outside?!" Mily screamed and looked at Vera with horror in her eyes. "So, we're like, leaving soon?" Vera and I nodded, and I patted her on the shoulder. The only one who was horrid with all this was Mily. She had loved it in here, had gotten in peaceful life in Shire and this place seemed like to be a place to her. Other place could've been Rivendell, but now she didn't seem like she could even leave from here.

"Well, let's go and meet the master Grey" I said and went to the door, girls behind me. Opening the door, I saw Bilbo taking his letters from mailbox. Gandalf had a little smile on his face and Bilbo's attitude seemed to be more tense than it usually was. Well, Gandalf had probably already invited him to the adventure. And I wasn't sure, what Bilbo had answered to him, since Bilbo already know about it.

"Good morning. You must be Gandalf? The same gentleman, who saved us from these burglars, as you called them" I said, the big smile playing onto my face. Gandalf's eyes drifted onto me, and seemed to brighten a little, and Bilbo turned to look me. Yes, Bilbo looked a little pale, but still there was decisiveness. He was going, if we were going. And if the dwarfs would have our service.

"Good morning to you too, lady's. Yes, I am indeed Gandalf, and yes, I saved you from these burglars" Gandalf said, looking me and Mily. I nodded and introduced ourselves to him. We thanked him, for saving us. Gandalf simply nodded and turned to look Bilbo. I was standing next to Bilbo, Vera next to me (and leaning to my shoulder as relaxed as any) and Mily was halfly behind Vera, looking at Gandalf with mixture of suspicion, scare and amazement.  Gandalf's eyes scanned us, our persons, our clothing, our inner persons and... well, he was probably thinking, whatever he would take us with him on the adventure or leave us here.

"As I told you, master Gandalf, I'm not leaving on this adventure of yours, if you wont have these young lady's too" Bilbo said intently. Gandalf's gaze went to Bilbo and he's frown deepened. "I know the danger there lay on this journey. My only conditions to leave is, that I may have these girls with me as an travel companion" Bilbo said again. Now he was really truly seriously serious about what he said. He'llleave, if we will leave.

"What, there's an adventure, master Gandalf?" I asked, smiling to him. Vera next to me was smirking and Mily was even more uncomfortable with this adventure. Gandalf was looking at us, with big question shining in his eyes. He knew - or guessed - that we knew _something_ more about what was to come. And that gave him no reason to trust us, and to think us as an enemy.

"Master Gandalf, I think there are things we should tell you, before we disgust the fact that we are joining this little big adventure of yours" Vera said, as if she had read my mind. Thank God for that she said it, because now Gandalf seemed a little more open. But juuust a little. So, after inviting him to sit down and him to kindly to refuse, we explained to him our story. And after some time, after the story was over, Gandalf stared us first suspiciously and then he's face lit up. After he had saved us, we didn't have much time to talk, so we hadn't told him we were actually not from around here, nor from Arda at all.

"Truly? You got here by magic or some sort and you know about this story? Well, that _is_ hard to believe, but... You four would do good for this quest. And it amuses me to see what you tree young ladies will do to this company. Just... It would be good, if you woudn't yell in an indifferent with it to everyone, yes?" Gandalf spoke, a little smile playing on his lips. We nodded in union.

"Yeah, we thought it would be the best not to yell about it" Mily surprisingly said. She was unsure of this quest, maybe even scared of it (which was normal, and yes, I and Vera were a little scared of it too), but she had find some courage to talk to Gandalf, it seemed. Gandalf smiled, and nodded. So, this leaving to this, our talk wen't back to the adventure. Gandalf telling us about the company and mentioning how many of them were in the company already. 13 dwarf's as we already had informed Bilbo, but of course we didn't tell this to Gandalf. And then there was the mention of how long our adventure would substantially take, what ever we would even survive alive to our destination.

"You'll be late for dinner because of an adventure, that's for sure, but I believe we are - that  _I am_ \- in this adventure. We'll prepare something for this companion of yours" Bilbo said, nodded to  the wizard, and went inside with his mail. I turned to look Gandalf, and shuddered my shoulders.

"Bilbo painted his door not a week ago, but I assume you need to leave the mark for the company of ours?" I asked, and grinned broadly to him. Gandalf winked, and came after us to the door. After he had left the mark, that would glow in the moonlight as he said, he left to inform the company.

"We'll be back by evening" he called over his shoulder.

* * *

The rest of the day went, as anyone could guess, getting ready for the evening. First of all we were getting all the food we needed from the market, since Bilbo worried that his already full food stock wouldn't be enough. Fresh fish, meat, herbs, some vegetables for us four, and flour. Bilbo said he had- or he hoped he had - enough vine and ale in his food stock. And if that wasn't enough for the dwarf's, then it was shame on them. I and Vera were helping Bilbo with shopping, while Mily staid in the house cleaning and putting the bed's ready for the guests.

After the shopping and chatting with the hobbits, who were little curious about the quantity of food we had with us, we went back Bag End and started to make food for the evening. Bilbo and I stayed in the kitchen, and Vera went to check Mily if she needed any help. They'd do something improving, if Mily had done with the cleaning. The cooking was left to us, and they wouldn't dare to come in the kitchen after an hour. Me and Bilbo were like angry lions. We almost even shouted to each other, and later on when I thought about it, it was an miracle we didn't strangle each other.

By early evening everything was ready. We decided to not to lit up any lanterns outside, so the dwarfs could see the mark on the door. And after making sure that everything surely was ready for our guests, we just waited.

"Just remember guys, if you show respect to dwarfs, they'll respect you. And don't let them boss you around. We are weak and our experience of fighting is zero, but that doesn't make us any worse than they are" Vera encourage us. Well, Bilbo and Mily, since I felt OK. For now, talk about when they'll come. Or when we leave. I wanted to meet them, see them alive and start the adventure with them. And I wanted to help them reclaim their homeland. I wanted to make friends with them, well at least with some of them.

With our boredom, Bilbo started to read some book of his. Mily braided Vera's hair to a simple braid, then my light brown hair to double braid (both of them leaving on top of my head and continuing to my back) and lastly Vera braided Mily's hair same way as Mily had done hers.

Time went by, and when sun had already set down and moon and the stars were shining brightly, the door bell rang. We were all sitting in the parlour, reading, knitting or just wondering about life. The peaceful atmosphere disappeared in seconds and turned tense. We girls knew who was on the door, all the while poor Bilbo thought they all came together.

"So.... it begins" I whispered dramatically. Bilbo and Mily glared at me, and Vera was smirking cheerfully as she followed Bilbo near door. I went to stand near Vera so that I could see the door, and the grumpy dwarf behind it. Mily stayed behind gloomily. Bilbo bundled his morning gowns sash together, took a deep breath and opened the door. Behind the door stood dwarf his back on the door. His top of the head was bald, but on his temples and back of his head was thick, long dark brown hair that seemed to connect with he's beard and mustache. As the door opened, he turned to look his host.

"Dwalin, at your service" Dwalin said and bowed, still looking at Bilbo. Bilbo took second before he nodded his bows to answer. He seemed to be a little surprised that only one dwarf was there on his door.

"Bilbo Baggins, at your service. I hope you are hungry, me and my three other visitor made some supper" Bilbo said, stepping aside and letting the first dwarf inside. Dwalin stomped inside and the very earth seemed like it was shaking on every step he took. Dwalin tossed he's coat on the coat rack and hummed.

"Aye, the wizard said the'd be food. And lots of it" Dwalin rumpled, as he's eyes turned from the Hobbit to us. He's eyebrows shot up to hi's imaginary hair line. He took few stomps towards us and the closer he got the more we saw the features of his face. Curiosity, amusement and maybe a little bit of suspicion.

"Ye lil' lads are the kiddos the wizard mentioned?" Dwalin questioned, with almost the same tone when he first spoke to Balin in the first movie. Vera glanced on me and we both smirked.  _"Kiddos?! That hurt, man!"_ We signaled each other. Yes, we were young, but not so young that 'kiddo' would be an acceptable nickname to us.

"You heard that, Ellie? He called us  _kiddos!_ " Vera said dramatically. My smirk just widened, even thought I tried to look hurt, like Vera did.

"Oh I heard him, little kid" I answered, turning then to look at Dwalin. Vera rolled her eyes, flashed me one last smirk and turned to look at Dwalin, who him self was now smirking humorously. He had seen my face, heard our halfly joking tone, so yes, he knew already that we were in deep shit in our friendship. That we could joke about everything, and we wouldn't get angry about every little thing.

"Eleanor, at your service. But please, just call me Ellie" I said and bowed to Dwalin.

"And Vera, at your service. Our friend Miliyana is currently serving the food on the table" Vera said, bowing herself. Dwalin nodded and repeated he's introduce. Bilbo took the rains here and let Dwalin to the dining room, where Miliyana was putting all the light stuff on the table. She stopped when she noted Dwalin, introduced herself and smiled a little to him. Dwalin did the same, third time already in short time, taking a note of Mily's broken hand. Mily didn't bother to tell him what had happened to her, as she thought that she's had to tell every dwarf later on something about her her hand.

When Dwalin had seated himself and was already eating up something, girls were glancing each other. There was no backing away now.


	4. Gathering of the Dwarves

Miliyana had set out on the table some drinkable water and light snack, like bread, cookies, pancakes and grapes. And Dwalin happily started to eat, while I and Mily started to get everything else ready for the dwarfs. Bilbo and Vera affiliate Dwalin. And waited for rest of the company and the wizard.

"You know, he's not that scary. That Dwalin" Mily murmured while she stack plates on the salver. I hummed and glanced Mily.

"Well, yeah, he looks like he might crush your head within seconds, but I honestly thought he would be a lot scarier" Mily continued. Now I turned to look at her whole. She looked calm, but her eyes were burning from anger of her futile worry. Mily glanced at me one last time before she disappeared to dining room with salver. I smiled to myself and leaned to the side table. Mily was right, in the movies Dwalin seemed time to times pretty scary and angry, but now he seemed to be just a little annoyed. But, oh well, we'll see what kind of guy he really is when we hit the road.

My thoughts were disturbed by doorbell's vivid voice. Ooh, next ones here.

"I'll get it!" I shouted and went to the door. I halfly ran to the door and opened it. Behind it stood older dwarf, who's hair and beard was completely white. Our eyes met and he seemed to brighten a little.

"Balin, at your service" dwarf said and bowed, his arms wide. Smile crossed my lips.

"Eleanor, at yours" I answered, bowing myself. "But please, just call me Ellie. Please, come in" I stepped aside and let Balin come inside. I quickly glanced outside, but didn't see the other dwarfs nor a wizard anywhere. Fili and Kili should arrive next, and almost right after them the  rest of the gang - minus Thorin. I then closed the door and turned to look Balin, who was taking in he's surroundings. This story was already going a little differently than in the movies. Well, of course it was... We three intruder's were here. In the movies Balin was guessing that it might rain later, but now there were no talk about it.

"Am I late?" Balin asked as he turned to look directly at me. I smiled and shook my head. Well, this was definitely from the movie.

"No, you are quite in time. Just one dwarf has arrived, beside yourself" I answered and turned to look just in time Dwalin, who was stomping after Vera who had almost empty plate of cookies. Great, Dwalin had almost ate all of them.

"Oh! Evening brother" Balin said as he started to walk towards his brother. Dwalin stopped and turned to watch Balin. Big, board smile rose on his face. He forgot all about cookies and Vera for now and went to greet his brother.

"By my beard, you're shorter and wider than last we met" they were now closer to each other, smiles bigger and eyes twinkling. Bilbo and Mily stood behind them in the dining rooms doorway and looked at brothers, a little smiles on their lips. While Vera had taken the cookies back to the kitchen, and appeared then on kitchens doorway. Mily and Bilbo glanced each other and shared even bigger smiles.

"Wider, not shorter. And sharp enough for both of us" Balin said and winked to Dwalin. Then they put hands on each others shoulder and hit their heads together. Hard, reeealy hard. Vera looked me and motioned 'Ouch' on her mouth. I smiled to her and uplifted my other eyebrow. Yeah, ouch. I walked beside the brothers and got Bilbo stand right next to me. Balin turned to look at us. Then he looked Bilbo with pure curiosity.

"Bilbo Baggins, at your service. And the master of the house" Bilbo said and bowed then to Balin. A ghost like smile played on Dwalin's lips as he looked at Bilbo's confident bearing. Balin introduced himself and looked then me and then again Bilbo.

"I were informed that beside one Hobbit here would be three young lady's from race of men" Balin said. This is when Vera and Mily came to say hello to him. And after all the introduced were done, Balin and Dwalin went to dining hall to eat. Only seconds later Dwalin was roaring after the cookies. And Vera shouting back to him, telling him to leave the poor cookies alone. Balin looked at me and riced his eyebrow. I uplifted my shoulders.

"I ques he likes the cookies I made" I told Balin, only to make him laugh. "I just hope the other food is as good as the cookies are" Balin patted me on the shoulder and winked.

"Don't worry, lass. I'm sure it's good enough for thirteen hungry dwarf" he comforted me. Then he went to take ale and some bread to himself. Some time went on, maybe ten minutes or so on, when the door bell rang. I turned to look the door, a little smile on my face. The two little boys were here.

"I'll go, again" I shouted to dining room and went to the door. I opened the door and peeked out. Yes, outside stood indeed blond haired and dark haired princes. 

"Fili...." blonde dwarf started.

"And Kili..." younger one continued.

"At your service" they finished at the same time and bowed. Fili had somewhat neutral face but Kili was grinning from ear to ear. By the time, if we really would go with them on the adventure, I would get use to this grin of Kili's. And let me tell you, Kili look even more cute than he looked in the movies. Especially that grin on his face.

"Ellie, at your service" I bowed to them and stepped aside. Boys came inside like they owned the place. They stopped and were met with "the master of the house", Bilbo. Fili glanced at me and I smiled to him sweetly. Then he turned to look at Bilbo, who was eyeing boys AND me like disappointed father. I may or may not have told him that Fili and Kili might be a little nuisance, even that they are princes. Well, all the dwarfs may seem to be nuisance to Bilbo, but especially these two. And I also may have accidentally told him that when I was younger, I was a little pit like they are. The only difference being that I'm not royal.

"You must be mister Baggins" Kili said with that same big grin on his face. Bilbo nodded and introduced himself as master Baggins, master of the house. Boys bowed and introduced themselves. After this Kili started to roam around the house, admiring it to Bilbo. Fili instead of turned to me and gave all of his swords and knifes to me. I uplifted my eyebrows. _'You sure you want to give these all to my care, lil' boy?'_ I tried to signal to him. He was watching me another second too long, before turning and wawing his hand.

"Careful with them, I just had 'em sharpened" Fili called over his shoulder. I glanced down my hands that were full of different kinds of weapons. I turned and dropped them down on top of one the chest. I took one sword to my hand and turned it on my hands. It was well made and looked pretty cool for sword, if you could say that for a sword. I put it back with other weapons and huffed.

"What the fuck does one do with this many weapons?" I murmured and turned to see Kili inches away from my face. For a second we stared at each other. I didn't even notice of him getting this close so quick. Then I turned my eyes back to the weapons and huffed again. I didn't even want to think where he kept all of these.

"Does your brother have some sort of... passion for weapons or is he titled as an weapon holder?" I asked from Kili who just laughed. I turned my eyes to him and he just shook he's head. Did I just say something stupid? Kili glanced over his shoulder and then leaned to whisper my ear something. Big, big grin grossed over my face and I turned to look at him. He winked, tapped my shoulder and left to the dining room. I was about to follow him, when the doorbell rang, again. Alrighty then, rest of the gang is here. I turned 180 degrees and went to the door. Since after Balin's arrival I became like an doorman. I was before door, just about to open it, when Bilbo showed up next to me.

"I think this is the rest of them. Their leader comes up a little late" I whispered to him. Bilbo nodded and then allowed me to open the door. And just like in the movie, when I opened the door, the dwarfs crashed on the floor with cursing and all trying to get up from the mass. Gandalf peeked from outside and smiled when he saw Bilbo and me. I smiled back, while Bilbo was still staring at the dwarves on the floor. When everyone were up, Gandalf introduced Bilbo to the seven dwarf and then the dwarves introduced themselves with a little bow. Then they all started to scatter around the Hobbit hole. Well, until Bofur spotted me.

"And who's this lil' lad over 'ere?" Bofur asked as he turned to look at me, his smile growing bigger when he realized that I was actually "lass", not "lad". I had kind of always liked his character, like Fili's and Kili's, so I hoped I could make fast friends with him. Everyone around us stopped and turned to look directly at me. Not all had even realized I had been there, or didn't just care who I were. Or then they thought I was Bilbo's wife. Oh God no, anything but that. I liked Bilbo, but not in that way.

"My name's Eleanor, but just call me Ellie" I told him and clasped my hands behind my back and smiled little more. Fili and Kili appeared behind my back to next to me, Kili standing my left side and Fili on my right side, and were greeting everyone. Bombur was looking at us and was suddenly smiling.

"Ye three could be siblings. Ellie's name even matches Fili's and Kili's" he said with wink to the others in the room. Everyone huffed, murmured, groaned and laughed a little. I stared everyone in the room, and saw even Balin and Dwalin standing near the dining room.

"Well, Ellie's a bit of an trouble maker, so I bet she'd be better than good little sister to them!" Vera was shouting from the kitchen. I uplifted my shoulder when everyone was looking directly at me. I weren't that much of an trouble.

"You don't even know" Bilbo murmured, his hands crossed over his chest and eyes hard as he stared at me. _'Gee, thanks Bilbo'_ I gave him one of my sweetest smiles and were then dragged to the dining room by Fili and Kili. Everyone were now kind of dismissed and they went to do, well, something. Gandalf was looking after me, Fili and Kili, and when we disappeared in the dining room, amused smile grossed his lips.

"This'll be interesting" he murmured and looked then down to see Nori and Gloin, staring at him with anger in their eyes.

"Now I did inform everyone of you from these girls, so don't look at me like that" Gandalf said and went to the dining room, where all food had been set on table, one barrel of ale was on one corner and most of the dwarves were sitting around the table, getting food for themselves. Mily and Bilbo were standing on the kitchen's doorway, talking to each other. Vera was sitting between Dwalin and Oin and was introducing herself to the deaf dwarf as loud as she could in all that noise, and I was sitting between Kili and Ori. It's probably needless to say that room was filled with noise, laughter and dwarves throwing food at each other, when not eating it. Dori appeared next to Gandalf, who was still standing on dining rooms doorway, asking if Gandalf wanted to drink some camomile tea. Gandalf smiled and refused, instead hoping to have small glass of red wine. Dori disappeared and came soon back with two tiny glasses filled with red vine. Gandalf took tiny glass happily, drank it at once and seemed to be a little dawn when he noted that it had been indeed tiny glass of red vine. Soon enough Nori and Gloin came to the room, Nori sitting down next to Kili and Gloin next to him. After all the eating, drinking and laughing some of the dwarves started to gather around the house. Mily and Vera decided to leave the cleaning for a later, since Vera wanted to see if the dwarves would start to sing and throw the dishes.

I had tagged along with Kili and Fili, and were already made good friends with them. After some time Vera showed up next to us, Bofur and Bifur tailing her. I had to watch Bifur's head twice before it really hit me that he had indeed an axe stuck up on his head. And yet he somehow lived. Bofur was telling us how he got it stuck there and that he could speak only khuzdul now, their own language. At some point I hear Bilbo complain about the dwarves, the mess in his house and about me and Vera for acting like the dwarves. And Ori asking almost right after that from Bilbo that what he should do with his plate. Fili winked to us, walked over to Bilbo and Ori and took the plate. Me and Vera followed him and Kili disappeared to somewhere.

"Here ya go, Ori, give it to me" Fili said and then throw the plate to Kili, who had showed up to the other side of corridor. Kili threw the plate to someone else, who we didn't see and they begun to sing. Soon everyone were dragged to throw the dishes and had started to sing, even me and Vera. Mily stood next to Gandalf and was watching carefully how the plates were flying next to them.

"Hopefully nothing gets broken" she murmured. Gandalf laughed and looked at her worry face with one of the biggest smiles on his face on that evening. After the song ended, all the dishes were intact and put on neatly pile's. Everyone laughed, but their laughter died when three even knock came from the door. Gandalf turned serious as if we were in someones funerals.

"He's here" he simply said, looking around the room. I gulped, realizing who he meant. We had fun, but now when Thorin would be here, it would mean only business and serious faces. Bilbo looked over to me, he's eyes asking me to come with him to open the door.


	5. Hope and Glory

Bilbo and I walked to the door, Gandalf, Kili and Fili right behind us and rest gathering near door. Bilbo and I stood on front of the door for a second, neither of us reaching to open the door. Finally Bilbo took a step closer to door and opened it. Behind it stood dark, almost black haired dwarf, who had a few grey hair atop of his head. I gulped and tried to look neutral, not some scared kitty cat or super emotional fan girl. And I wasn't so sure whatever I failed or not. Thorin turned to look at Bilbo and then Gandalf.

"Gandalf. I thought you said this place was easy to find. I lost my way, twice. I found my way here because of the mark on the door" Thorin said as he walked very majestically inside, taking the cape of off his shoulder and wrapped it on his hands, while he turned to look at Kili and Fili, big and warm smile rising on his lips. Gandalf was introducing Thorin to Bilbo, who was looking at Thorin with contemplatively. Then Bilbo's eyes turned to me. He's other eyebrow rose slightly. And no wonder. You know the saying, that someones voice can make any one spare their legs (men **or** women) and screaming _"I am yours, so take my now!"_. I had backed of, more near to other dwarfs, and leaving the princes between myself and Thorin. I was looking at Thorin, my face harder than normally. I was trying to hide the fact that he's voice made me want to scream and squirm. It happened before once when I first saw the first movie, and this very same scene. After that I was like melted lava before him, if one could say that.

Kili came to stand next to me and nudged my hoodies cuff. Startled I turned to look at him. He smiled sweetly, not that usual smirk, just... some sweet smile that melted anyone's heart. He lifted his eyebrows and turned then to look at his uncle. I huffed and turned to look at Thorin too, biting my inner lip. The fuck was that about? Thorin handed his cape to Kili, who happily took it, and then Thorin took step closer to Bilbo.

"So, this is the Hobbit. Tell me Mr. Baggins, do you know much about fighting? What is your weapon of choice? Axe or sword?" Thorin asked and started to circle Bilbo like hungry lion to its prey. I wanted to step in and say something to Thorin, but decided to stay quiet. Bilbo had to keep his fend on this, not to trust on me. Or Vera or Mily. Bilbo looked a little troubled. He glanced a quick look over me and seeing me nod my head a little, he collected his courage and put his hands behind his back.

"Weapons aren't much of my choice, since I don't prefer to use any violence. But... I do see that... I can protect... myself... if it comes to that" Bilbo's voice started to crack at his last sentence. Thorin let out a little laugh and turned then to look at others, who were smiling and laughing too.

"Thought as much. You don't look much of an warrior nor a burglar" Thorin mused and turned to leave. Only that he was stopped by Miliyana, who was making a "tsk" noise somewhere behind me and Kili.

"Not all are as mighty and heartless as you, master dwarf. I know Bilbo'll do better burglar than anyone else in this room" Mily said, her voice emanating perfect self control. She was angry, you could read it on her features, but her voice was steady and calm. Thorin was looking at Mily, maybe just now realizing that there was three head too much. He hummed and turned to look at Bilbo.

"You know, Bilbo might bite your finger off if you anger him too much" Vera said and came in full view for everyone to see from the dining room. She wasn't smiling neither, even tough she seemed to be joking. Thorin turned to Vera and lifted his brows. Then his eyes turned to me. His bright blue eyes were looking me up and down, and then he turned to at Kili. I turned to look at Kili too, my heart still pounding from Thorin's critical eye. I felt like he might cut me just by his words. Kili's eyes narrowed a little, as he was watching his uncle. They were signaling to each other, or talking through their eyes. Like I and Vera did sometimes. I had no idea what they were talking about, or what Kili told Thorin about us. He seemed to like me, Vera and Mily, but we had known each other about little more than an hour and I guessed that he didn't trust us that well yet. Dwarves didn't trust to others that easily, and I could relate that. After a few awkward moments later Thorin took few steps towards me. His eyes were on me, still judging, but not wanting to kill me anymore.

"Who are you?" he questioned. I glanced over my shoulder and motioned Mily come over. Vera was already appeared next to Fili and Kili, who remained to stand there for some reason. When Mily was standing behind me, I gave my full attention back to Thorin.

"My name is Eleanor, but I prefer to be called Ellie" I told to Thorin and bowed my head a little. Thorin nodded and ghost of an smile appeared on his lips. Did he make the connection on my and princes names too?

"And my name is Vera" Vera said, motioning a little bow herself. Thorin nodded and eyed then Mily.

"I am Miliyana, but girls and Bilbo call me Mily" Mily said, nodding her head to Thorin. Thorin nodded and looked little more hard now. He realized that he needed to deserve Miliyana's trust before she would let him call herself Mily. And before she would be even more friendly towards him. Made sense, since he excepted the same from the girls - and from the Hobbit. He didn't trust them, they seemed to be weak and would probably die in few week after they set their foot in the wilds. They would need extra protection if the company would run in any problems on their journey, the company would get four extra mouths to feed. And they weren't dwarves.

"You'll get just homesick after we set in the wild. And I assume any of you lady's cannot fight" Thorin split the words out. Someone snorted, probably Nori. Vera gave him dirty look and wanted to tangle his balls on pretty bow after Nori smirked to her.

"I can use bow and arrows, but not axe or sword" I informed, putting my hands on my hoodies pockets and rolled my shoulders once. Kili was looking at me with keen interest in his eyes. Right, he favored bow too.

"Really? Hard to believe" that was definitely Gloin. Now it was my turn to snort. _''Well ex-fucking-cuseme for being a female''_ I was staring Thorin angrily, who then eyed behind my back, probably signaling to Gloin to shut it. Then he turned to look at Vera, who shook her head.

"I can hit, kick and bite, but not use any weapons" she told, sounding pretty bored. As if were talking about weather. Thorin turned to look Miliyana, even though he already knew the answer.

"I am like Bilbo, I don't prefer to use violence. Therefor no, I can't use any weapons" Miliyana's voice was calm. Far too calm for this situation. And it disturbed Thorin. "And besides, what does it matter if we get homesick? Aren't you the ones who are homesick?" Thorin's eyes flew back to Miliyana, burning with questions and surprise. What did she mean? They were not home sick, they had already got use to that they didn't belong anywhere.

"Homesick? We? Hardly, woman! The very idea!" Dwalin snorted and grossed his arms under his chest. Mily and I exchange looks, smiled a little and then we turned to look at Thorin again. He was watching Dwalin, brows deep as he was thinking about something. Then his eyes drifted to Fili, to Kili next to his brother, then to me and then finally Miliyana. His eyes send the question his mouth could not ask. _What do you mean, woman?_

"You are trying to reclaim Erebor, am I right?" Mily asked, her voice hard as rock and yet it injected like needle. Thorin nodded.

"Indeed. Where are you heading with this?" he questioned. Balin moved nervously beside Dwalin.

"You try to reclaim Erebor, which _is_ your home. You have settled your new home in Blue Mountains after roaming wide and long, yet you try to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. Why? Well, I believe because you seek the comforts of home, _comforts of Erebor._  It is where you belong to. You need more men to reclaim the Mountain, Thorin. Take Bilbo as your burglar and us to help you. We cannot fight, but we can support you other ways. You'll see" Mily told not just for Thorin but for every dwarf in the room. I turned my eyes to Mily and then to the others in the room. They were staring at the floor, the wall, furniture's, their hands or their legs. Gandalf was looking at Mily and Thorin, his face unreadable. Thorin opened his mouth but closed it then, when no words came out right away. Then Balin walked next to him, touching his shoulder.

"I think too we should take the lasses and burglar with us, Thorin. They may truly turn out to be more than just a little help to us" Balin said to Thorin. Thorin was watching Balin, his eyes searching for something from Balin's eyes. Then he turned to look to Bilbo and Gandalf beside him. Bilbo's expression was gloomy and Gandalf seemed to be thinking hardly. Thorin took also a note how quiet the wizard had been all this time. Then he turned to look three young women and his nephew. Could it truly be? Homesickness towards the Mountain? Could they truly help...?

"We'll see about it" Thorin grumbled and marched over to to next room, past Dwalin who accompanied him right away. Other dwarves followed them almost immediately. Only Bilbo, Gandalf, myself, Vera, Miliyana and Balin were left behind in the lobby. Balin turned to look at me, girls and Bilbo and smiled at us like grandfather to his grandchildren.

"Don't take Thorin's words to your hearts. He just worries about you, is all" Balin said, sounding little sad. Mily smiled and shook her head to the elder dwarf.

"Don't worry about it, master Balin. We know he's having hard time over the Lonely Mountain and his people" Mily said, smiling brightly to him. Balin nodded, smiled a little to Mily and went to the dining hall, were the other dwarves were discussing loudly about Thorin's cousin, Dain, who didn't promise to help with Thorin's quest. Bilbo and Gandalf followed shortly Balin, while I, Vera and Mily went to the kitchen to clean up the mess and wash up the dishes. And I ended up making something light for Thorin, since Balin came and asked so nicely. About 15 minutes later I went to dining hall with plate full of pulled pig, sausage and potato wedges. He had already mug filled with ale. Thorin gazed hungrily the plate I set beside him.

"Thank you" he thanked, halfly smiling to me. That smile was real, and that thank you was coming from his heart. That much I could tell after just few seconds. I nodded to him and went to back to kitchen. I liked Thorin's smile. He reminded me a little of Fili's and Kili's smile. They had to have their mother's, Dis' smile. In the kitchen Mily turned to look at me and smirked.

"Whats up with you?" she asked, still smirking. I shook my head, just then realizing I was smiling myself. I patted Mily's back. She was taller than I and Vera were, being almost as tall as Gandalf. While I and Vera were near one meter and 60 centimeter. And as hard as it was to believe, these dwarves were as tall as we two were. I had to look a little up, if I wanted to look in Thorin's eyes. And what could hurt anyone's ego more that a dwarf that is taller than you?

"Well done back there, I think no one would have played it any clever that you did" I said to Mily and leaned to the table. Mily smiled to me and nodded. She knew it already. Of course she did.

After forty minutes later Balin and Thorin came to see us in the kitchen, Thorin carrying his empty plate.

"Thank you for the food, it was good" Thorin said as he gave the plate back to me. No singing and throwing the dishes, it seems. I smiled to him and took the plate.

"I'm happy to hear that you liked it" I said and turned to go and wash his dishes. Balin stepped next to Thorin and was looking for us a second before he informed us about the danger and other stuff about their quest. But we knew about them already, we just weren't sure if there would be some new dangers or if something would change and how dramatically.

"Bilbo told us that he will sign the contract, if we take you three with us. And we will, only if you still wish to come. Balin just needs to make contracts to you three" Thorin said and put his hands behind his back. Vera and Mily exchange looks, both surprised. I hummed and wondered what made Thorin accept us. Fili and Kili? Balin? Or did Gandalf threaten to cut his lucky charms off if he didn't take us? No, that could not be it. Thorin would not be so calm if he were forced to take us with him.

"Yeah, sure. I think that'll be fine" I said and turned to look two dwarves. Vera was nodding her agreements, but didn't say anything.

"We're accompanying you on this journey. Just come see us when the contracts are ready" Mily said and smiled politely to the dwarves as they left from the kitchen. Mily sighed and turned to look at me. I lifted my eyebrow questioning to her.

"If we are alive, when we reach Erebor, I'll hit you. Hard" Mily hissed and made me laugh.

"Yeah, sure you do" Vera murmured and was looking a little tired. We all were tired, the night was already upon us and this day had been long. Bilbo rushed in the kitchen and was looking at us with mixture of horror and amazement.

"So, you did say yes?" he asked and we nodded. He smiled a little sadly and messaged his right temple. "Well then, I'll... go to sign the contract. Did you sign your owns already?"

"Not yet, Balin's making copies for us. We'll sign them when he is finished" Vera answered. Bilbo nodded and then was off to find the elder dwarf. We three looked at each other and smiled. This was... easy. And now Bilbo would not have his awesome "I'm going to an adventure" moment.

We left the kitchen and find the dwarves from the parlour. Thorin was leaning to fireplace's stone and was looking the fire, holding pipe on his other hand. The other dwarves were around the room, some sitting and some were standing. And they all were humming. Only Balin was sitting at the side of table, writing contract's for me and girls. Peaces of parchments which would bind us to these dwarves. Gandalf was sitting on chair near window and Bilbo was standing near us, leaning on the wall. I went stand next to him and leaned to the wall myself. I wanted to go sit next to Fili and Kili, but didn't care to disturb their song. I listened to their song entranced and looked only Thorin. He would die on this quest, as well as Kili and Fili. But I could change that, like every female was going to do in those fics I had read about. But how do I change their fate? How to protect them, if they think themselves stronger than me? If they keep on fighting till their last breath. When the song ended, Thorin's eyes drifted around the room. Every single dwarf was standing, looking at Thorin and only him. Then Thorin's eyes stopped on us. He had he's stone mask, but he didn't mean any ill will with it.

"Go to rest, you three can sign the contract when you wake up" Thorin said and then everyone were guided to their bedroom. Some slept in same room, like me and girls. Thorin and Bilbo were only ones who slept alone, for Bilbo was our host now and Thorin was king.


	6. Dwarves of honor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes a little aback in time with the dwarves sitting in Bilbo's dining room.
> 
> I also want to thank ya all for the kudos and comments. ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)

Three girls, or young lady's if one wanted to be exact, and a Hobbit. How could they help? Why would they help? What did they know about anything, homesickness and losing your home, loss of family members and friends, dangers in the wild, surviving, anything really. And why were girls here? They were certainly of race of men, so why live in here, Shire, with Hobbits? Did they run away from home? If so, then why? Or were they homeless too, like Thorin himself and his people?

Thorin had so many questions, but no answers. Well, not yet. He knew he should just ask these from the girls, but now wasn't time for it.

He sat at the end of the table, 10 dwarfs sitting beside him and directly looking at him and wanting to know about Dain and the meeting with other dwarf kingdoms. Thorin sighed and told that his dear cousin would not help them reclaiming the Mountain, nor would the others. This was bad news to everyone and various disappointed sighs could be heard around the room. Kili came next to Thorin, giving him stein full of ale, and after Thorin's murmured _'Thank you'_ leaving then to sit next to Fili. Thank Mahal there was still some drink left, for all the food had been ate or tossed around the dining room. Thorin took sip of his drink, set the stein down and turned to look at Balin, who had stayed behind with the girls, burglar and wizard.

"Have you eaten anything?" Balin inquired as he sat next to Thorin.

"Bread, meat. Some time ago" Thorin answered lazily, throwing off the fact that he was indeed a little hungry.  _There should be enough food in there,_ he had thought and kept on walking. How many hours had it been that he eaten anything? Too many. But he had missed the dinner in Bag end, 'cause of he had lost his way. And now they had to think about the journey ahead of them. Food could wait.

"Ellie could make something for you if you are hungry. She's an excellent cook" Bilbo's voice came somewhere behind Thorin. Excellent? Thorin throw a glance toward Dwalin and Balin, who nodded their agreement's.

"Lad is right, he and Ellie made all the food today and it was far too delicious. Their cooking skills would be a good enough of a reason to take them with us" Bofur said, his face yearning as he remembered their dinner. Every single dwarf added their _'Aye'_ in here, nodding and looking at each other. Even those who didn't trust nor like the girls and Bilbo had taken liking of the food. _Of course, the way to the dwarf's heart was through his stomach._ Meaning that if you could cook and dwarf liked it, you would be favored - as a cook. Bilbo felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. He knew he could cook, of course he did. Yet it felt weird to hear that all these dwarves had liked his - and Ellie's - food this much. 

"Well, if that's the case, then maybe I'll have something  _light_ " Thorin murmured. Balin was the one who went to ask Ellie to make something to Thorin, though Thorin would've sent someone else, like Kili or Bofur. Soon Balin returned and told Thorin that Ellie would make something for him. Thorin nodded and then informed him, Gandalf and, well, Bilbo (who had no idea, who or what Thorin was talking about) about events in the meeting earlier. And that Dain would not help them, that he would not risk his soldiers against something as dangerous as a dragon. Balin sighed and was staring somewhere behind Thorin, looking sad and lost.

Dain was their last hope, and now that hope was gone. Now Thorin had only these loyal, brave and willing 12 dwarves and one wizard. And the girls in the kitchen. And one Hobbit, standing between Gandalf and Thorin, his hands in his trousers pocket's and his face stern and unreadable. What to do with these four kind-hearted fellas? Thorin didn't mean any harm with them. He knew they couldn't protect themselves, Bilbo at least didn't have any experience of the wilderness and if Thorin had to ques, the girls didn't have neither. So, Thorin wanted them to stay here in Shire, safe from the world and dangers, and not mind about their, dwarves, business. He didn't want to see anyone of them die on this journey, for their had so much to see in their life.

The company was discussing about the Mountain and such, when Ellie appeared next to Thorin and Bilbo, plate full of food and a little smile on her face. Thorin looked at her, then her cheeks. _Dimples..._ How they completed her smile. She set the plate on the table. Sausage, ripped meat and potatoes cut with smaller pieces. Well, this certainly wasn't the light meal Thorin was expecting, but oh well. It still look good. And definitely smelled delicious.

"Thank you" Thorin said, feeling glad to have something to eat. He should have eaten something earlier. But, then he would have missed this delicious looking meal. Thorin halfly smiled to Ellie. She nodded, still smiling and left the room quickly. Gandalf let out a little huff and then motioned Thorin to eat, when he was looking at Gandalf with uplifted eyebrows. Thorin started to eat and almost let out moan. Bofur and Bilbo weren't lying when they said that Ellie was an excellent cook. Balin chuckled and almost everyone had an amused look on their face.

"What?" Thorin asked as he noted this.

"Nothiiing" Kili said with big smile. Thorin's eyes drifted to Fili, who had amused smile on his face. Then rest of the company, who were still smirking and smiling like a little kids who knew some secret that he did not. Then Thorin turned to look Gandalf and Bilbo. Gandalf had a warm smile on his lips and Bilbo was half smiling. Alright, what had he missed? And when no one told him anything, Thorin decided to continue the talk with their journey ahead and leave this bullshit smirking contest behind. They repeated their plans about safest route, where they could get more supplies and a little details like that.

"We can hunt more food, if the food supplies run low. I also know a few fountains along our route, and water is easy to make drinkable if we need to take it from river or such" Gandalf told. Some dwarfs were nodding for agreement, muttering their  _'Aye'_ s.

"Aye. We get supplies from Bree and then we hunt food and find  _or_ make drinkable water" Thorin said. He had emptied his plate quite fast, still wishing he could get some more. Their talk turned to how they would get in the Mountain, for it wasn't good idea enter from the front gate. Then Gandalf mentioned the key and the map, giving them to Thorin. Sharp pain went through Thorin's heart when Gandalf mentioned, how he had gotten them. Thrain had had them and after meeting Gandalf, he had entrusted them to the wizard.

Thorin's eyes drifted to the key. His father might still be alive, somewhere out there. He wanted to find him, get him home - back Erebor - with him. But first Erebor, which would take some months of his searching. But what if he would hear some hints, rumors on their journey... Thorin turned his gaze back to Gandalf, eyes burning with emotions. He was about to say something, when Gloin's words cut through the room.

"Oin has read the portents and the portents say it is time" The dwarfs had been talking something Thorin hadn't heard. He had let his focus to drift out, when he should been paid focus on the talk in their hands.

"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it is for told. When the birds on Erebor return to to the Mountain, the era of the beast will end" Oin continued, looking the members of the company. Bilbo sifted his foot, looking uncomfortable. Girls had mentioned the dragon, but...

"The beast?" Bilbo questioned, then looking around him just realizing he had said it aloud.

"Oh, aye, that'll be the reference of Smaug the terrible. Thievish and greatest calamity of our time" Bofur said calmly, looking at Bilbo. He was about to say something, when Bilbo mouthed an 'Oh', nodded and turned his back to the company. So they were talking about the dragon, not any other possible beast.

"Right, right... the dragon... the girls did...." Bilbo muttered under his breath and took a breath to calm himself. Then he turned to see the company staring at him. Bilbo cleared his throat and motioned them to talk. Bofur lift his eyebrows a little, being disappointed when Bilbo claimed to be calm. Well, some what calm. He didn't scream, faint and do anything else weird and amusing to Bofur, just stood there and seemed to be nervous.

"I'm fine, just... uh... Never seen a dragon before. Hemh" Bilbo said, and tried to laugh, but the nervousness had taken over him again. Bloody dragons and stupid quests. While Bilbo stared at the floor, bounding and wondering, the company started to talk about the dragon and how just the thirteen of them could and would take it down. They were fighters - not the smartest ones, that even Bilbo wanted to agree - and they definitely were outnumbered. Even Balin said it was difficult to defeat an dragon with an big army. Bilbo lifted his face, when younger of the Durin brothers told his brilliant idea.

"And you forget that we have a wizard in our company! Gandalf must've killed hundreds of dragons in his time!" Kili said excited and being so sure of it. Bilbo's mouth hung over as he turned to look at Gandalf, who was now trying to deny it, all the dwarves shouting at him and Dori finally asking, how many dragons he actually had killed. Gandalf started to cough the smoke out of his mouth, all eyes finally turning to him. Even Thorin, who had been quietly following the conversation, turned to the wizard. He knew there was no way Gandalf could kill Smaug, otherwise he would have said something. But then again, he was a wizard, a weird creature that did and spoke what he wanted to. A second, two later Dori started to demand the number and almost everyone jolted up, shouting something. Bilbo looked over the room, the shouting dwarves and the ones still sitting, wondering how to get out of the situation. Then Thorin shoot up and shouted over the others in their language. Everyone jolted back to their seats, quieted by Thorin. 

"If we have read these sings do you not think the others have read them too? Rumors will began to spread, the dragon - Smaug - not being seen for sixty years. Eyes look east to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk perhaps the vast wealth of our people that now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while other claim what is rightfully ours? What do we seize this chance to take back Erebor!" Thorin's speech made everyone shout and rice their fists while Thorin sat back down. Bilbo stood next to Thorin, looking at company with mixture of astonishment, worry and wonder. Thorin turned his eyes to Gandalf who nodded and lifted his eyebrow.

"We need the burglar, Thorin. And, master Baggins is my choice. Hobbits can be quiet and go even unnoticed, where dwarfs definitely cannot. And, hobbits smell is new to Smaug" Gandalf mentioned, changing the subject. Thorin sighed. Fine. He didn't want the Hobbit with them, but he also needed the burglar. They would go with Gandalf's wishes in this, but Thorin would not take this burglars life on his shoulder.

"Fine, but he'll be travelling under your wing. You protect him and make sure he stays safe. Balin, give the Hobbit his contract" Thorin said, anger and disappointing welling up on his voice. Gandalf nodded. A ghost smile appeared on his face and disappeared when Fili spoke up.

"Uncle, what about Ellie and the other two?"

"Yeah, they are coming too, right? They can be under me and Fee's wings" Kili continued and winked to his bother, who smiled back to his brother. Thorin sighed and finally consented after few minutes. If they were met to be with the company, as Gandalf offered it, then so be it. Thorin still didn't want to take four protege's, but under Gandalf's and few others pressure, he finally gave in. If one of them - or all of them - would die on the road, then they would die. As simple as that.

"I can take them under my wing, like master Baggins" Gandalf suggested. This was when Fili and Kili jolted up.

"We can and we will take Ellie under our wing" they said at the same time. Thorin blinked twice before looking at his nephews questioningly.

"Lass could be their sister, ya 'now" Dwalin said and few laugh could be heard. Well, this was true, but it still wasn't any reason. When he turned to look at Fili and Kili again, he just nodded. They were serious, they would take Ellie under their wing even he would say no. They would protect her, maybe even train her. Trust, beginning of friendship... and all that he saw in his nephew eyes.

"So be it. Protect her, not with your life's, but keep her safe" Thorin told them. Big smiles appeared on their face, as if Thorin had just promised half of the world to them.

"Well, it seems that I have to three more contracts, then" Balin said with a little laugh.

"Well, I think we are done with the talking, then" Gandalf said. Bilbo disappeared to the balcony to read his contract. Other dwarves started to scatter around the Hobbit hole. Fili and Kili stayed their seats, whispering each other something, and grinning like little dwarf childs. 

"Shall we go and inform the girls, Thorin?" Balin's voice came from the spot where Bilbo had earlier stood. Thorin turned to look at Balin and cave Balin a little nod, and so they were off to the kitchen.


	7. Enigmatic souls

The morning sun had started to rise about half an hour ago and morning preparation had been already started in Bag End. I was helping Bilbo to make breakfast, while Mily and Vera were reading their contracts and getting everything else ready. I would be reading mine after the breakfast. The dwarves were smoking their pipes and preparing for the journey ahead by collecting bread and other dry food, herbs and water. Oin was also making sure he had all the necessary healing supplies with him and if he needed anything else. The dwarves were pretty relaxed, despite the fact that they had a long and dangerous journey ahead. Thorin and Balin seemed to be only ones, who were a tiny little bit nervous. Thorin was barking his orders to everyone and Balin just seemed to be anxious. When Mily cave a little note to Balin about Thorin's behavior, he just waved it off and told her not to mind it.  _'Thorin's just nervous and worried us and this quest. And his people back in Ered Luin"_

Yawn left again from me and Bilbo was already glancing at me angrily. I had been yawning all morning and it started to annoy him.

"Ellie, please, would you stop doing that?" he asked quite politely, his eyes still showing his anger and annoyance. Bilbo seemed pretty cute, when he was a little angry. Or irritated. Or annoyed. Or whatever emotion he had. But when he got too angry, he seemed pretty scary. Maybe Vera was right, if Bilbo would get too angry, he would bite your fingers of. At the same time I would want to see it happen and did not want to see it. I wanted to think him as sweet, caring Hobbit, who wouldn't even hurt a fly. Oh well, we'll see if Bilbo's gonna show some new sides of him in the next few months. I turned to look at Bilbo, smiled to him my apologies and turned then to cut again the vegetables. 

"Sorry about that. I'm just not a morning person, really" I told him. Bilbo sneered and muttered something about _'knowing it'_. Well, figures. We had lived under the same roof for a quite few weeks.

* * *

 

After the lively breakfast - however not that lively as yesterdays lunch - I sat on Bilbo's armchair, reading my copy of contract. It was little bit like Bilbo's contract, only that my contract didn't define my job in the company. And the contract said, that I'd been under Kili's and Fili's protection. I kind of understood that we - I, Vera, Mily and Bilbo - needed protected in dangerous situations, and hey, after we set our foot out from the Shire, there would be nothing but dangerous situation. More or less. But, still, why would they name two persons to protect me? And why the youngest Durins? Just in time, Fili walked in the room.

"Fili, this contraction says that I'm under your and Kili's protection. You have any idea, why?" I asked. A little smile appeared in Fili's lips as he came next to me. He bend over to read the contract and his smile went even bigger.

"Well, would you look at that. Balin actually did put it in there. Uncle promised to take you guys with us, if you stayed under Gandalf's wing. Meaning that he'll protect you and watches over you. so that uncle or any of us doesn't need to. I and Kee wanted to take you under our wing, 'cause you could be our lil' sister" Fili explained, a little smirk still on his face. Well, Gandalf had given some interesting options of taking us with the company. And Thorin had just accepted it? Well, if one of us died, our blood would be on Gandalf's hands, not Thorins. Except mine, if Kili and Fili would be protecting me.

"Well, in that case... You two have to teach me how to use a sword and how to fight in combat, since I have no knowing how to do 'em" I told him and tried to confide him by smiling sweetly. Fili let out a little laugh and ruffed my hair. 

"We'll see about that, Ellie. Just sign it already, uncle wants to leave" Fili rushed me and after I nodded he left the room. Sighing I turned back to the contract. I would get paid for my efforts after the Mountain would be reclaimed. But I didn't need any money or diamonds or any valuable that I could not take back with me. Final sigh left from me. I stood up and signed my first name there.

_'That's all they need to know about me'_

I left the room and went to look for Balin. Soon I found him outside talking with Thorin and Dwalin. Their murmurs were loud but not that loud that I could have heard what they were talking about. I took few steps closer and cleared my throat. When that didn't get their attentions, I tried again, louder this time. When they still were murmuring to each other, I sighed. Surely they had heard me.

"Sorry to interrupt you guys, but I signed the contract" I said a little louder than normally. The tree of them turned to look at me. Balin smiled, while Dwalin and Thorin glanced each other. I walked over to Balin, giving the parchment to him. Balin opened the parcel, took his reading lens and check on my signature.

"Well, everything seems to be an order. I suppose there wasn't anything that bothered you in here?" Balin asked. Well, of course I had some questions, and definitely some problems with it, but I had already signed it.

"Just one question, actually. There wasn't mentioned my job or place in the company. So, what do I do?" I asked. Balin turned to look at Thorin who was now eyeing me. For full minute no one said anything. I looked them and cocked my head a little to my right. Hadn't they consider what our place was in the company? Or did they think us for kind of an... fun time "in bed" lady's.

"Help with the camp, help Bombur making the food. All the little things you can do. But mostly, you do the same things that Fili and Kili" Thorin told. Alrighty then. My place in the company would literally be Fili's and Kili's little sister. But what about the girls...

"Vera is helping in all little things she can do, and Oin has taken Mily as his apprentice, since she knows thing or two about healing" Balin informed, as if he had read my mind. Thorin stomped next to me back inside, barking that we'd be leaving soon. Well then... We had our places, which sounded OK to me. And nothing too dirty or improper. Balin patted me on shoulder when he went inside, my contract on his other hand. Dwalin watched me with stone mask on his face as he followed his brother. I looked after them and when they disappeared back inside, I turned to look the scenery of Shire beside me. I'm going to miss this, the scenery, the Hobbits, the peaceful times and the food.

"Come on, Ellie, were leaving soon!" Thorin shouted from the door.

"Aye, I'm coming" I shouted back and turned. Thorin was standing on the door and watching me for second, before he turned back inside.

I made my way back to my room, where I made one last check in my brand new backpack, that Bilbo had kindly bought for me, and after making sure that I had everything with me, I took one last turn in the room. I was going to miss this room, too. And the beds! Surely after sleeping a few weeks on the hard ground would make me wish that I'd stayed here. But, I had two brothers to protect. I would not let Azog get them. Nor uncle Grumpy. Not as long as I'm here.  _That_ would be my job in here, protect the sons of Durin from the harm of any danger. Even I wasn't sure if I could do it without dying myself.

"Then I'll just protect them with my life" I muttered and put the cotton jacket on me, which had fur lining inside. The jacket felt nice and warm, well too warm for the summer time. But who knows how cold it's gonna be at night time. Mily appeared on the door and was looking at me with a little smile when she saw me spinning on the room like ballerina.

"We're leaving now, Ellie" She said, her voice gracing a little. I stopped my spinning and turned to look at her. Mily seemed to be a little sad for leaving from here. And I felt bad for pulling her along for this quest. But she knew she didn't need to come along. I took my back and went to the door.

"You know you don't need to come, right?" I told her, giving her a sympathetic smile. Mily left out a snarl and glanced at me.

"Yeah, and who's gonna watch over you and Vera? Or you, Fili and Kili? Not Gandalf, and I'm sure Bilbo's not gonna take that job on his shoulders" Mily reasoned, smiling like a little devil. "Besides, I have my face to keep. Those idiots are gonna lick me boots when we reach to Erebor" She winked and smiled even more like a demon. I sighed and shook my head. If she says so.

* * *

15 ponies were walking on the road, leading us out of the Shire. Vera had reminded Bilbo to lock his front door so that the Hobbits wont sneak inside while he was gone, and sell his stuff. Or steal from him. Thorin and Gandalf were riding at top end of the line. Since I and Mily couldn't ride a horse, we had to sit back with someone. Vera had some idea how these mettwurst's worked. Mily was sitting behind Gandalf, since she was too tall to sit on top on the pony and she even seemed to enjoy to travel with him. I was sitting behind Bofur. Otherwise I'd been sitting nether behind Fili or Kili, but they had started to fight about it so Thorin had ordered me with someone else. And Vera was riding with Bilbo, since Bilbo didn't fancy horses or ponies that much. As we were passing someones house, a male hobbit called after Bilbo.

"Oi, mister Bilbo, where are you going?" Bilbo glanced him over his shoulder and gave him a polite nod.

"I'm going to an adventure! I'll be gone for a few months, so if you'd be nice and take care of my garden for me, please!" Bilbo shouted. The hobbit leaned over his fence and looked after us.

"Sure, mister Bilbo" his voice could be heard. Bilbo huffed and was skeptical for the rest of our journey of what ever his garden was taken care of. The Hobbits we met on our way to boarders of Shire looked at us with question and wonder. Some even said their goodbyes when they realized that me and girls were leaving, and probably not coming back. And some of them even looked sad. They sure had taken liking on us. Maybe I could come back here after we'd reclaimed Erebor.

* * *

Some days had passed and I started to get use to our lives in wilderness. Night time sure was cold as fuck, thought I was happy to have my fur jacket and blanket with me. Vera and Mily had their blankets too, but they didn't have fur jackets. Well, mine was from our world, one of the only personal things I had with me. Eating and drinking water was one lack of things I didn't enjoy as much. Bombur's food was good, but he had limited possibility's to make meals. And since we didn't have that much of water, you had to watch not to drink it all. Who knew when we would find drinkable water next time, and the dwarves weren't that much of sharing theirs. Not even Fili and Kili. Going to the outhouse was another thing. I mean, seriously. No one ever mentions these in the movies, nor in the fanfics. But, man, you need to pee sometimes. And you know, we're not carrying toilet paper in our back, so... clean, poor leafs were our friends. Sometimes, if we were in the woods. We took bath in cold rivers and such when we could, but other times we just stink and were dirty.

I was still riding with Bofur after these days, since he had take liking of me and enjoyed talking with me. And Fili and Kili would still be fighting about which one of them I should be riding with. Fili, Kili, Bombur, Bilbo and Vera traveled near us so we could talk and share some tales. I and Vera told honestly about our families (like how many siblings we had, what our parents did for a living and other harmless things) and such, only saying that we had left to travel around Middle Earth with some men from "our little hometown". And that near Bree, we girls had been attacked by some drunken guys, and Gandalf had saved us and had taken us near Shire where Bilbo had then found us. This was mine, Vera's and Mily's backup idea for our past. And Bilbo's idea too, actually, since he had recommended that we should not reveal to the dwarves that we were actually not from around here.

"So, where are your travelling companion? What happen to them?" Dori asked. I looked at him with a surprised. So, he and Ori had been listening to our story? Well, now when I took a look around the company, I think that everyone had been listening to us. They were quiet and some were sometimes eyeing us.

"I found them dead near Bree, that is why I took them near Shire. I would have taken them to someones house, but I was chased and had to leave there so I could take the chasers far from these young ladies" Gandalf's voice carried over the front of the line. I gave Dori a sad smile, who then turned his eyes back to the road, face set as emotionless mask. No one didn't ask anything else about us, and we didn't bother to ask about their lives. Even thought we weren't talking about our personal lives, we fit still well into the company. And made even some friends. Me, Kili and Fili were devoted friends from the beginning. Some evenings we pulled Vera and other dwarves, like Ori, Dori, Bofur, Bombur or Bifur (thought others had to translate to us what he said) and sometimes even Bilbo and Mily. Mily and Bilbo stayed together, and were besties after first evening. Oin accompanied them often, and after Gloin had taken some time to trust Mily and Bilbo, he would sit with them too.

But even we made some friends, only Fili and Kili were only dwarves who trusted us fully. Or at least they trusted me, and they liked Vera. Mily was still some mystery to them, yet they seemed to like her. Few others, who's with we talked and spent our evenings, hadn't given us their full trust. Even Oin didn't have his full trust on Miliyana, even thought he did admire that she was worthy to have as an disciple. Bilbo was his taboo of his own. He was calm, didn't speak much, took his distance to the dwarves and lectured me and girls (well, mostly me and sometimes Vera, but never Mily since she behaved like an lady). Yet the dwarves avoided him like a beat around the bush.

That evening we had camped on the cliff that I recognized from the movie. Fili, Kili and I were sitting near campfire, leaning to the rock behind us. Everyone were sleeping, except Fili and Kili who were on watch, myself, Bilbo and Gandalf, who was smocking his pipe. Mily and Vera were sleeping near fire. I couldn't bring myself to sleep while Fili and Kili were having their watch, so I stayed up, thinking about life and keeping watch with the brothers. Bombur was snoring so that moths would rise and fall down on his beard. And poor Bilbo couldn't sleep because of Bombur's snoring, so he got up and went to his and Vera's pony, whispering to her ear and giving her an apple. I smiled a little when I noted him patting Myrtle's mane. So he had started to take liking on the pony. I yawned and tried to hide it behind my hand.

"You should sleep, Ellie" Kili whispered to me and nudged me to lean on him. I hummed and leaned more on Kili's shoulder.

"But aren't we on watch? Thorin's gonna get angry if I fell asleep" I murmured and then eyed the king, who was leaning against the rock farther from the company. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be in light sleep. Fili sneered and tugged my blanket better on me.

"Me and Kee are on watch, ya supposed to be sleeping" Fili clarified to me. Kili was nodding his agreements and was stroking my hand so that I would fall asleep. I sniffed after one big yawn. No sleeping, not just yet.

"But Thorin told me that I'm supposed to be doing same things as you, since you two are watching over me. So, if you are on watch, so am I" I told them. Fili was about to say something, when loud scream like shout came from the forest far in front of us. I jolted up, looking at Bilbo who tiptoed nearer us.

"What was that?" he asked, a little frightened.

"Orcs" Kili said, looking at the landscape and the Bilbo. Vera had jolted up when she heard what Kili had said. She turned her eyes to me with question. I shook my head to hear and motioned her to ho back to sleep.

"Orcs?" Bilbo asked, waking almost every dwarf. Now it was Thorin who jolted up. Mily sat up and looked Bilbo, then me, Fili and Kili, and then Thorin, who was quickly scanning the are for any danger.

"Throat cutters. There's pretty many down there. The landscape are growing with them" Fili said with serious voice. I glanced Fili and gave him a dirty look, when he noticed me staring at him.

"They strike when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no scream. Just lots of blood" Kili continued. When Bilbo turned his back on us, Kili turned look at me and his brother, smirking and letting out a little laugh. I went and elbowed Kili on his side, as hard as I could. Kili huffed and held his side, glaring at me.

" **That** was for the shitty joke" I said and the hit him behind his head. "And  **that** was making fun of us. That was stupid and you just proved how bad your humor is" Thorin appeared in front of us, nodding little to me, and then glaring at his nephews. Kili lowered his gaze and quickly glared at me.

"Lass is right, Kili. You think that's funny? You think night raid's by orcs is funny? Get hold of yourself, you have a lady to protect" Thorin said and still glared at brothers.

"We didn't mean anything by it" Kili said. Thorin huffed and walked past us, going near the cliff.

"No you didn't. You know nothing of the world" his murmur could be heard. Mily sighed as disappointed, and laid back down on her bedroll. Vera shared one last glance with me, before she too laid back down. Balin appeared next to us and looked us and then Bilbo.

"Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs" Balin said, looking at us three. Mily sifted on her bedroll and turned to look at Balin. Bilbo sat next to Mily's bedroll, feeling a little safer being next to them. Balin turned to look at Bilbo, Mily and Vera, who had turned on her stomach and was now looking at Balin. Fili and Kili were looking after their uncle, while I was staring the fire. Yeah, right.... orcs killed many of Thorin's kin and people back in Moria. And Azog cut of Thor's head. And Frerin got killed back there, and Thrain went missing. I felt sad just thinking about Thorin's loss. Balin started to tell story about the fight back in Moria, the events of it. And when he finished, all the dwarves (except Fili and Kili) were up and looking at Thorin, who turned to look at us.

"So, Thorin cut off Azog's arm and it was dragged back to their.... camp or somewhere. What happened after that? Did Azog survive or what?" Vera asked, before Bilbo could ask about the pale orc. Thorin walked past us, looking at Vera and Mily.

"That filth died on his wounds long ago" he said and went back to his so called place, making it clear that this talk was done and it was time to rest before sunrise. Gandalf and Balin shared a look, while Vera turned to look at me. I shook my head to hear, signaling to her to keep her mouth shut. Dwalin walked over me, Fili and Kili and nodded.

"Take a rest, lads. I'll take over the watch" Fili and Kili nodded, not arguing with him. "Lass looks like she's use some beauty sleep" he murmured and went to sit down with his brother.

"Thank you, Dwalin. This _princess_ sure needs her  _beauty sleep_ " I called after him. A laugh left from few dwarves, including Thorin. He turned his blue eyes on me, which seemed to shine beautifully on the light of moon. A smile crew on my face, when I looked at him. He shared a smile to me, which grew a little, when Fili and Kili leaned on me and yawned.

"I'm not your bedroll, boys" I growled. Thorin shook his head amused and turned then to look the landscape. Gandalf had been watching us and a creepy smile grew on his face. He leaned more back and lifted his pipe on his mouth.

"Interesting"


	8. The Guardian

The very next morning I woke up for Balin's gentle voice, trying to wake me and the two princes, who were still leaning on me and keeping my hands.

"Lads, wake up. The breakfast is almost ready" Balin said, then gently tugging boys shoulders and then patting me on head. My eyes opened and saw how Balin started to smile.

"Good mornin', princess" Balin said, his smile only widening when I was staring at him questioningly, my eyebrows frowned. Dwalin's laugh echoed from somewhere, few words in questions were thrown from Vera to someone, and then I heard murmurs. Then they all were quiet. Balin stood up and turned to look at the company, minus Thorin who had disappeared somewhere. Now I was fully awake and taking in my surroundings. Me and princes' were the last ones who were sleeping. Squeezing their hands gently I tried to wake them up. Kili cuddled closer to my shoulder and continued to sleep and Fili started to open his eyes little. After a few seconds his eyes opened fully, his gaze focusing on me and big smile growing on his face.

"Good moorning, Ellie" he said. I murmured good morning's to him and rested my head on his. For some time we just sit there, me and Fili looking at the company and listening to their talk, and Kili still snoring against my other shoulder. Thorin appeared from the woods in the camp and was watching us for a second, before marching towards Gandalf. Fili was watching after his uncle and then he straighten himself. I turned to look at him, noting how his eyebrows had furrowed and his face had hardened.

"Fili, is something wrong?" I asked quieter so that others won't hear. Fili's eyes turned to me and then he just shook his head. He released my hand and stood up, stretching and then going where his uncle and the wizard were, not answering to me. I sat there for a second, wondering what went to him. I searched Vera with my eyes, finally seeing her chatting with Dwalin, Balin, Bofur, Bifur, Nori and Gloin. Great, I wished she would go and check if Fili had everything alright. But I didn't want to draw too much attention to this, since it might be nothing. Then I turned to see that Mily was too focused on talking with Oin about the herbs. Bilbo was sitting furthest end of the company and was looking at the sunrise, all alone. I started to feel bad for him, but then I remembered that he didn't care that much of the dwarves and we girls were busy. Fine, I would find out myself what was wrong with Fili. It might be nothing and Fili wouldn't probably even tell me. I had to do it later on today of course, since someone was still snoring.  Then a little, devilish grin appeared on my face.

"What ever is on your big bros mind, we'll find out, right, Kee?" I murmured and then turned to Kili, still smiling. Then Bombur turned to me from the pot and told to wake Kili up, _"... if the lad wants to have breakfast"_.

"Not yet, ma" Kili murmured, when I poke his nose now with my free hand. I snorted and face palmed. Some of the company had heard this and were laughing, and when others were wondering what was so funny, word spared fast that Kili just called me his mummy.

"Yeah, yeah, that's funny. Kili, wake up. Me and Fee are gonna eat your share of breakfast otherwise!" I said as serious as I could. And it worked, Kili shot up fast and stared at me with horrid, sleep still in his eyes. I grinned to him and patted his cheek.

"Morning" I said, trying to mimic George Weasley there. Shame I didn't have any mug with me, so I could've drink something. Kili huffed still little angry and then turned to look at his brother. I jerk Kili's shoulder with my other hand, since Kili was still holding my other one, and when I got his attention, I leaned to whisper secrets to his ear. The expressions on Kili's face changed fast to many emotions and when I had finished, he had big and exited grin on his face.

"Oi, you two little demons, don't even think about it!" Thorin called. So, he had seen us whispering to each other. And thought now that we were planning on something? Oh, but it wasn't anything bad at all. I and Kili glanced at each other, grins growing even bigger. The company was eyeing us with caution, Vera looking little hurt and Mily and Bilbo were eyeing each other and shaking a little their heads on union. Fili and Gandalf were still out of our sight, so I assumed we needed to have our little talk. But for now, I decided to leave it for the time we would be moving on.

* * *

We were travelling again, and I was sitting behind Fili this time. I had told him straight that I needed to ask him something, and without any protest Fili had accepted. Kili was riding next to us, eyeing us and waiting. I wanted to ask first what was on Fili's mind, before Kili would step in, if needed. He knew a little better how to make his brother to talk. I wanted to get every possible seed of worry, fear, anxious and distraction out of these two, I wanted to make sure they would make it through everything. And keep on living, being happy. And if I could make bests of friends with these two and keeping them safe and sound, I would less Thorin's worry about these two. Maybe at time I would even help to take some worries and fears from Thorin. And help him with the madness, when the time would come.

"So, Fee, are you going to tell me what got into you this morning?" I asked after an hour of travelling. Fili turned his head toward me and didn't say anything for a while. Kili was watching us, and few other members of the company were eyeing us, including Vera, who by now had realized that something might not be quite right. Fili shook his head a little and patted my hand that I had wrapped around his waist.

"I'll tell ya later, you two" Fili said quietly. I and Kili shared worried looks, then Kili nodded to his brother.

"Well, if you say so" I answered and pressed my cheek against his back. Good thing was that we didn't have to put our plan on going with Kili, but the bad thing was that now I was twice curious and worried to know.

* * *

Later on, when we were riding in the forest, the rain had started. It poured on us, going thru all my clothes and making me wet to my bones. The rain continued few days incessantly, lowering the mood of the company. On the third day many started to be annoyed by the weather. No ones pipes wouldn't lit, bedrolls and other clothes were wet and it was hard to make campfire and therefor Bombur had hard time make food for us. Fili didn't get his chance to tell me and Kili anything, since we were riding almost all the time now and he did want some privacy when he would tell us. Thorin wanted to get out of the forest as fast as we just could get. And when we stopped, Thorin ordered us tasks that took our attentions. Fili had finally wished that we would just wait for a right moment when he could tell us what was heaving his mind. Me and Kili promised to wait, not wanting to hurry him. He had promised that wasn't anything serious, but that's what they all say. We would see how serious it was when he would finally tell us.

Finally Dori had snapped for the rain, glaring up on the sky and then Gandalf.

"Here, mister Gandalf, would you do something for this downpour?" he asked, trying to sound polite, yet one could hear annoyance from his voice. Many shot wishful glance towards the wizard, who turned to look at Dori.

"It is raining, master dwarf. And it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, then you should find yourself another wizard" Gandalf told him and turned to look back ahead. Dori sighed disappointed and many others looked taken down. Why did they even have this wizard with them again?

"Is there any other wizards?" Bilbo asked. I sighed, and leaned on Kili's back. I had been riding in turns with these two now, changing the prince always when we continued to ride.

"There are five of us...." you heard Gandalf starting to tell Bilbo. Yes, he had forgot the names of the blue wizard. And when Gandalf mentioned Radagast, Bilbo questioned if he was a great wizard or the same as Gandalf himself. Gandalf turned to look at Bilbo, telling him that Radagast was a great wizard on his own way. There was a little hurt in his eyes when he and Radagast were put on same line. Mily was saying something that they all were great on their own ways, others didn't just succeed on their missions so well. Gandalf turned to look at Mily and for a second he seemed like he wanted to scoff Mily. Then he seemed to realize, that she might be hint the stories from our world. So, he turned back to road and didn't say anything. And she was, for what Mily could remember, only one wizard from the five went back to Undying lands, back to the Valars.

On the evening the rain finally stopped. When we had stopped and made a camp, I had gone little deeper in the forest, to change my wet clothes to dry ones. Since I had only one hoodie with me, I put on my fur covered jacket. When I returned and started to hang my clothes to dry, Bofur noted something hanging on my neck.

"Oi, Ellie, if ye don't mind me asking, is that a necklace you have?" he asked, pointing at my neck. I took it on my hand so he could see it: silver, bold line with metallic rectangular plate hanging on it. There was one line of text on it. Or rather, one line of numbers. Bofur turned it on his hands and looked it with interest. Other sides looked like they were shaped to their shape but one side looked like it had been cut on much later, maybe years after the necklace had been made.

"What does it represent, if I may ask?" Bofur asked, putting the necklace back down. I smiled to him a little, and touch lightly the metallic surface.

"It's... It's just a necklace, without any bigger meaning on it. I... I got it from my da" I told him, looking at Bofur sadly. He nodded, patted me on shoulder and went then to his brother and cousin. This necklace was one of the only memories I had from my family. And it held more meaning to me than Bofur even might realize. Sighing and rubbing my face I went back to the Durin's brothers, who were whispering further from the others. When I stepped closer to them, Kili turned to look at me and then his brother.

"Oh, I see, Fili doesn't want to tell me what's wrong with him. Ok, not then" I said when I noted their faces. They had been talking about something private, something that they didn't want anyone else hear. Well, not at least me to hear. So, I turned and went back to my backpack. I sat down, sighing hard, and started to grub my back, before Fili came and interrupted me. He was looking at me with pleading eyes and kept my hand gently.

"Ellie, please, we didn't mean any harm with it" he said. I shook my head and removed is hand from mine.

"I'm not your real sister, Fili, so not all your worries belong to me. So.... so just go back to your brother and talk to him" I told him before turning back to my back and continued grubbing it. Dismissed - and looking a little hurt - Fili stood up with a quiet _"Alright then"_ and went back to Kili, who himself was looking too little sad and hurt. Every other member of the company were eyeing us, knowing now that something was wrong. Although most of them blamed me from it and tough I had said or done something. Vera stood up from next to Dwalin, crapping her own back and came to sit next to me. She didn't say anything, didn't offer any comforting words nor what she thought what was going on. She just sat there, offering her silence support and company. Like she always did.

"It's not easy to be a guardian"


	9. Friendship to last

That night was the first night when I slept apart from Fili and Kili. I was sleeping near Vera, Mily and Bilbo, still keeping my distance even to them. I kind of had my priorities with how near I slept others. Fili and Kili were the only ones who I let sleep near me, and even break my god damn exact personal space. I didn't know why I let them be so near me all the time, since I couldn't do it with my most trusted friends. And how we even came so good friends in no time? It was like we had known each others longer than I actually thought!

Next morning I woke up when Kili came to wake me, two bowls on his hands. He was followed by his brother, who had one bowl for himself. Rubbing my eyes I gave the two of them a little smile and murmured good morning's, what I had done every morning after we had begun our journey. They both smiled too, although their smiled seemed to be more awkward than real. After putting my blanket back to my back, I started to eat.

We three sat in awkward silence, given the fact that we usually chatted this and that, pretty loud sometimes. Some of the company were glancing at us, mostly emotionless mask put on their face. I felt awful for putting the brothers in the situation where the others didn't knew what was going on and who's fault it even was, that all they could see was our suddenly changed appearance. Well, not with that they even needed to know anything about this. Everyone had their little secrets and thoughts they didn't want to share, and I felt like I had stepped on Fili's personal space by trying to ease his mind, only wanting to know that nothing was wrong with him. And then I felt like I had done something wrong again when I tried to step aside and let him talk with Kili. Well, yeah, I had expressed myself a little wrong last evening. I had gotten angry and frustrated when I had seen that they were whispering without me and their expression when they noticed me near them. So I felt that I had been left out.' _Couldn't they wait for a few minutes so that I'd just change my clothes?"_ No, it wasn't that they couldn't wait, but they didn't want to. That this might be something I wasn't meant to hear. Then, in seconds, I had realized that Fili had his thoughts he might share with Kili, but not with me. Because Kili was his brother, and I was still some stranger to them. A friend, but not with big enough with trust.

"I´m sorry" I mumbled after I had eaten. Fili and Kili lifted their heads from their food and stared at me. "I'm sorry for asking things that don't belong to me" I stared my shoes and crossed my hands on my lap, empty bowl at my side.

"Ellie, there's no need to apologize. I know you mean well, and that you care and were worried about us. It's me who should apologize from you for not explaining about the other morning" Fili said and took my hand. I looked up to him and saw him looking sad and apologetic. I squeeze his hand and felt a tear pick up in my eyes. It hurt to feel like you weren't trusted by your friends. I shook my head to him, when he was about to say something.

"Fili, please. There are things we don't need to share to others, at least not to the stranger ones. Just... just promise to me that you talk to Kili whenever you get something on your mind. It's not good to keep things on yourself" I said, letting go of his hand. Only that Fili grasped it again and squeezed my hand hard on his. Kili took my other hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"No, Ellie. We won't keep any secrets from you, not because you are "stranger" or anything else. And you don't need to... No, you will tell us all there's on your mind too, got it? I will tell you all the details there is for this, but I want to tell when there's really time. It wont be told in few minutes, you see" Fili explained. His eyes were pleading my understanding. I frowned and tilted my head.

"You  _are_ our sister, Ellie. Not by blood, but... you are. We could, you know, adopt you as a sister. I'm sure mother would love you" Kili said, smiling broadly to me. Their mother? Wasn't her name Dis?

"Dis? No, I'm sure she wouldn't... I mean... She haven't even seen me, so..." I stopped my mumbling when I saw the brothers faces. "What did I say now?" They exchanged looks and then just shook their heads. I growled and kicked them. I was about to make them talk, when Thorin shouted that we'd leave soon. Fili and Kili jolted up, Kili taking my bowl from the ground and taking it to Bombur for me, and then they went to put their thing and ponies ready. I turned to Vera, who sat next to me.

"Well, it seems you got everything solved up" she said and smiled to me. I shrugged and turned to look at the brothers, who were fighting again which one I was going to ride with. Vera laughed, while I was face palming. If Vera wouldn't be riding with Bilbo, I'd probably just go with her. But then again, I felt that I needed to go with neither one of the brothers. And when we left, I was sitting in front of wildly grinning Kili. I felt like princess, sitting in front of her fiance. Thought Kili couldn't be my fiance. Fili had my back with him, even I had resisted and wanted to carry it myself.

"Oh c'mon now, lass, trust me a little, would ya" he had said, grinning and batted my shoulder.  _Trust me a little._  

* * *

Later on we stopped near old, ramshackle house. I was eyeing the house, wondering where we _there_. Yes, we had to be there, I was sure of it. I should remind Vera and Mily about this, and probably tell this to Gandalf. Who would be leaving soon, but... It would still be good to make sure that he comes in time to save us from the trolls. We got down from the ponies, and Thorin started to shout his orders. Like he normally did when we set out our camp.

"We camp here for the night. Fili, Kili, Ellie, Vera, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them  _and_ look after them" Thorin said, looking at us for second before walking towards the house, or what was left from it.

"Oin, Gloin"

"Aye?"

"Put the fire going" The preparations for the camp started, like always. Though, this was the first time that Vera would do something with the three of us. We all stayed near the ponies, patting them and talking to each others, while Gloin and Oin were making a fire and Bombur was getting his pots ready. And Thorin and Gandalf were arguing with each other. While there was still time and Fili and Kili were going over the ponies, I nudged Vera's sleeve and signaled her a word _"Trolls"_. She looked at me and nodded, understanding what I meant. She had probably noted too where we were, and was thinking about how to save us from them. When Gandalf was thundering past us, an idea popped in my head.

"Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?" Bilbo asked, worried as he saw Gandalf marching towards his horse. Mily was eyeing Gandalf, and then her eyes got big as she recalled this scene from the movie.

"Seeking the company of the only one around here who got any sense" Gandalf said angrily. Mily and Vera exchange looks.

"And who is that?" Bilbo asked. Not anyone around here for sure.

"Myself, master Baggins!" Gandalf's voice carried over his shoulder. Bilbo turned to look at Balin next to him, panic in his eyes. Gandalf couldn't just leave, right? Thorin's voice carried over the house, rushing Bombur to make food for the hungry company. Mily sprinted past us, Vera and myself tailing after her. Yes, he was going to leave, but for a good purpose on his mind. I at least hoped it.

"Gandalf, wait up!" Mily shouted. Gandalf was already sitting on his horse. He looked down at us, when we all got to him. He stared at us, still looking angry.

"You two stay behind - and you are not even on my protection - I have other things to do. You will be fine with the dwarves for some time. There is no any danger's here and the dwarves will protect you" Gandalf said. I shrugged and sighed. Safe, here? Protect us, the dwarves? Surely they would, but.... Thorin would surely be angry to Gandalf if anything happened to these other two. And only because Gandalf's supposed to be protecting them. 

"Yeaaah, right, about that.... There's slightly a bigger problem here. On the evening" I said. Mily turned to look me, her eyebrows frowned and shook her head a little. She was aware of the trolls, but didn't want to tell too much to Gandalf, if nothing at all. Well, too late. I had already opened my mouth. Speak before you think, they say. Or the other way around. I shrugged again and put my mouth on streak. 

"Three of 'em actually" Vera corrected. Mily turned to look at her, trying to warn her too. Vera rolled eyes. Yeah, definitely too late. If telling Gandalf about the trolls wasn't the reason why we were talking to him, then why were we here? Gandalf frowned and was looking at us intently, not saying anything. Mily turned back to Gandalf, giving him a worried smile.

"Just.... Try to make it back in time, we might have a problem here when you get back" she said and turned to leave, taking me and Vera with her. I turned to look at Gandalf, which seemed to be bad idea. He had one of the most horrid looking frowns on his face. He stared after us for few seconds, before he left. Me and Vera went back to Fili and Kili, who were looking at us with question. Vera shook it of, saying how nice it was that wizards could just leave when ever they wanted. Kili looked at me, his eyebrows almost together.

"He was supposed to protect Vera, Mily and Bilbo, you know, like you and Fili keep me under your wing" I told him. Kili lifted his eyebrows up and seemed to get the hint. Mily and Vera didn't want him to leave, the contract was binding them to Gandalf. So, right now they were on their own. Kind of.

"Fili, Kili, Ellie, the ponies!" Thorin's angry shout came from the other side of the camp. I turned to look at our angry leader, and waved to him. Kili and Vera were already going to take the ponies near the grass area, where they could eat. Fili reminded behind, looking at me with a ghost smile on his lips.

"Yeah, yeah!" I shouted to him, and turned to see Fili staring at me, his smile grown bigger now. I looked him for a moment, before following Kili and Vera to take the ponies to their dining area. Fili turned to see his uncle still looking at them, his face softened a little. Laughing a little to himself, Fili joined to us.

* * *

 

Evening had started to take over, the sun had set a moment ago and the ponies were still eating. I hoped we could eat too, since I started to be hungry. Bombur was luckily making supper already, but it would still take some time to be ready. Vera and I were walking thru the area and looking around us, while Fili and Kili were murmuring and whispering nasty things. Time to time they turned to look at us, or rather, look at me. I didn't like it, and they sure would get a new bum in their arse if they were plotting anything.

"I don't see them" Vera murmured. I nodded and scanned the area again. True, the trolls were nowhere to be seen. But it still didn't mean that they weren't near by. We should see them - and probably smell them - when they were going to take the ponies. I spotted some kind of mountain-looking thing on the ground few meter ahead from Fili's pony, almost as tall as I was. I approached it and when I saw what it was, a devilish smile grew on my face. Great, now I could put my idea on use. Now I only needed some rope and a bucket or some other deep dish. I turned and went to Vera, whispering her ear. Vera nodded and I went back to the camp, where I saw Bombur tasting the supper, Dwalin and Thorin talking near the old house, and Mily leaning to the tree. When she saw me, she tensed. I smiled to her, and shook my head a little. Everything's fine, for now. She sighed and turned to look the others. Most of the company was bustling near campfire, waiting to get the food and doing their stuff. I approached Bombur and smiled to him when he noticed me.

"Bombur, can I borrow a rope and bucket? Or other deep dish? Please" I asked as nicely as I could. Bombur looked me curiously, like did few other dwarf. And Mily.

"What on earth do ye do with them?" Nori asked, looking at me suspiciously.

"Fili and Kili sent 'er, most likely" Gloin sighed and shook his head.

"Aye, they need 'em to their pranks" Bofur said as he came to stand next to me and put his hand around my shoulder. I sighed and looked at them. Great, just... great.

"Guys, please. Those two idiots have probably something on their mind, but no, I'm not on their business this time. I saw an apple tree in the woods, near the ponies. I thought we could eat them too at supper or later on" I reasoned. No, I didn't need them to get the apples, and yes, there was an apple tree near the ponies. Everyone lifted their eyebrows and stared me, still being suspicious. I snarled and throw my hands up. Fine, I'd just find them myself then.

"Ok, not then. Guess I'll just take them myself then, in my pockets. And I might give one or two to the prince's and Vera, if they ask nicely" I said, turned and raised my chin. After a few seconds Bofur followed me, took a hold of my shoulder and turned me to look at him.

"Wait up, princess, I'll get 'em for ye" he said and winked. I smiled to him and waited him to get me a empty pot from Bombur and a rope from Bifur, who were kind enough to lend me them. When he came back, I smiled to Bofur and gave him a hug.

"Thank you, Bofur. I'll get you three a few extra apples" I said, smiling to him sweetly. I really should get some apples from that tree, at least to Bofur, Bifur and Bombur.

"No prob', m'lady" Bofur said, broad smile on his face. He turned to go back to the camp while I went back to the ponies. After getting back there I searched Vera, Kili and Fili. The three of them had disappeared somewhere, leaving the ponies alone. Son of the bit....

"Eyy, Ellie! Come look what we found!" I heard Vera's voice from somewhere up from me. I turned and spotted her and the brothers in the apple tree. I sighed and walked near it. Kili leaned a little, looked down at me and grinned. His mouth was full and he looked ridiculous. Cute, but ridiculous. Well, since I was at the apple tree, I could as well fill the pot with apple's and take them to Bombur. I put the pot down and knotted other end of the rope to pots handle. While doing this I could hear Fili and Kili wondering what I was doing.

"Oi, Kee, catch!" I shouted and lassoed the other end of the rope up on the tree. Kili captured the rope and looked puzzled. Then he looked down at me. 

"Now drop it from the other side of the branch!" I said. Kili smiled when he realized what I was about. He dropped rope and I started to pull it so that the pot started to rise. When it was on Kili's reach, he grabbed it and started to fill it with apples. Vera climbed higher on the tree and started to drop apples to pot, or if they missed it, they dropped on the ground. Fili started climb back down to help me to lower the pot. After some time, I and Fili took it to the camp, while Kili and Vera stayed behind. 

After taking the apple's to Bombur, who put them with other food supplies, I and Fili sneaked back to the ponies with same pot with us. I needed it and I had told this to Fili, who just uplifted his brows. He guessed that I had something on my mind, but this wasn't a prank. Oh, wait. It was. Well, sort of. Back to the ponies I grinned to Fili and went back to the apple tree. On the ground was still those few apple's that Vera had thrown. I piked them up and headed then to the "mountain-like thing", which was indeed a God damn big anthill. While I started to put my prank ongoing, Kili went next to his brother, looking at him questioningly. Fili smirked and uplifted his brows once, twice and smirked even more when Kili started to smile too.

"Hope she doesn't overdo it" Kili murmured and was eyeing me. Fili laughed a little and shook his head.

"Nah, I think she knows what's she is doing. And I know she doesn't want uncle on her back" Fili murmured. Kili smirked and let out a little laugh. Fili looked at his brother for second, then he too laughed too and shook his head.

"What on earth are you idiots doing? Grinning and laughing like punch of weirdos. We're suppose to look after the ponies" Vera's voice called behind the brothers. They turned to Vera and shook their head. Kili went back to his pony while Fili and Vera were still eyeing each others.

"It's about Ellie, right? Your smirks" Vera stated. She knew herself that I had something on my mind. After I had started be friends with Fili and Kili, we sometimes joked about all the pranks we could do. And sometimes we did something. She saw me crouch at the anthill, doing stuff my back on her. She knew already that I was going to do some prank - and thought that someone from the company was my target.

"You'll understand eventually, Vera. If you haven't noted _it_ already, sooner or later you will. You know Ellie well, so... You'll see" Fili said and patted Vera on her shoulder. Vera looked after Fili as he walked to his brother, brows almost touching each others. Then she turned to look at me, her face growing with worry. What had she missed?

Everything was ready. Now the trolls had just to come and try to steal our ponies. I was still near the anthill, watching how the ponies ate the grass. I turned around when I heard a loud voice, like someone would have been thrust a tree to the ground. I turned around just in time to see a big troll stumble towards two of the ponies. I jolted down and tried to find Vera, Fili and Kili. Vera was hiding near the rock and brothers were nowhere to be seen. I moved quietly towards her, peeking around my shoulder. I didn't want to get caught. It would just ruin everything.

"Where's Fee and Kee?" I asked from Vera. She uplifted her shoulders and looked worried.

"Go, find them, I'll deal with the troll" I commanded Vera. She looked at me suspiciously. I gave her a light smirk and patted her on back.

"I have an idea. Now, go, go, go!" I hurried her. She sighed and nodded. She check the troll, that had taken two ponies and then she looked at me.

"Don't go dying on me, shitty" She mumbled and grinned when she saw my serious face. Then she sneaked somewhere, while I turned to look at where the troll had gone. I took a deep breath and then I run to the anthill. Time to put my plan ongoing!


	10. Those without fear

Miliyana didn't believe what she was seeing. Or, what she was not seeing. Three figures stood in front of her, staring the ponies. Durins brothers and Vera next to Fili. And Ellie had disappeared somewhere. She wasn't in the apple tree, not with the brothers like she always was, not anywhere near the ponies. And she didn't show up from anywhere. She was gone, disappeared. Probably somewhere near the trolls by now. Mily gritted her teeth and followed Bilbo with two bowls in her hands. Bilbo tried to give his bowls to the brothers, but instead of taking them and starting to eat happily, they just stared onward.

"What's the matter?" Bilbo asked, looking at the boys with worried eyes. He had noticed too that Ellie was missing, but he had just dismissed the idea that something would have happened to her. Maybe she was just in the woods, peeing or doing something silly. Pranks and naughty things.

"We're supposed to be looking after the ponies" Kili started, still looking the ponies. Vera snorted next to Fili and Mily rolled her eyes. Of-fucking-course, the brothers had been doing something else but watching over the ponies. And now few of them had disappeared. And what Ellie and Vera had been doing?!

"Only that we... err... have counted a slight problem" Fili said, clanging at Bilbo.

"We had sixteen..." Kili said.

"... And now there's fourteen" Fili told the rest. Called it! Mily sighed, put the bowls down and hit the brothers back of their heads. Then she turned to look at Vera, who rolled her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, these two scamp disappeared somewhere and I went to look for them. That's when the ponies were stolen!" Vera said in low voice, glaring at the boys next to her. Kili was staring at his feet, his face growing a little red, and Fili was glaring at Vera.

"Alright, alright, just stop before you start! Can someone go and fetch Ellie, wherever she is, and then we go and find the ponies" Bilbo said calmly. His face was still far from calm. He looked like he might strangle someone. Fili and Kili exchanged looks and Vera sighed hard, rubbing her face with other hand.

"Ellie... uhh... Ellie is missing too" Fili mumbled. This time both of them were looking their feet. Mily stole one quick glance from Vera and knew already where her other friend were. Getting herself killed by trolls.

"You fffucking idiots! You let her get herself into danger without giving it that much of a thought! Ellie's supposed to be your _" **sister"!**_  You two should know better than this how dangerous it is out here, in wilderness, especially in nighttime! What if something bad has happened to her?  _What if she is dead?!_ Hmm?" Bilbo's outburst left the girls speechless, let alone the brothers. Yes, they could expect something like this from him, but this came literally behind the tree. Kili was sulking, his lips as tight as they could be and his eyes still on his feet. Fili was now looking at Bilbo, his own eyes shining.

"We... We do look after her. But she is not a child, Bilbo, and doesn't need a babysitter around day and night" Fili tried to reason Bilbo.

"No. No. No. We are in the wilderness, are surrounded Valar's know what not creatures that want us dead,  _and she doesn't have a weapon!_ So yes, she needs someone with a weapon to protect her, around the day and night" Bilbo shot back, staring angrily the brothers. Fili sighed and rubbed back of his head, where Mily had earlier hit him.

"We'll do our best, alright, so...." Kili started, but he was cut of with Bilbo's angry stare. He gulped and turned then to look at Vera and Mily, and then his brother.

"By judging a few moments from our journey so far, including last evening and this morning, I'd say your trying is pretty poor. If you two really care about Ellie as a friend and sister, then act like it. Or then stop trying and leave her be" Bilbo said with far too calm voice. His angry face was now covered in pity. Towards the brothers or Ellie? Or all these three at the same time? Bilbo himself only knew.

"Shouldn't we... Shouldn't we do something about those missing ponies? And try to find Ellie?" Mily said after few awkward moments later.

* * *

 

Bilbo, Mily, Vera, Fili and Kili were checking which ponies were missing and then they gathered near the tree that had fallen down.

"Daisy and Bongul are missing" Kili said. Bilbo had put the bowls down at some point and was now eyeing his surroundings trying to find them. Then his eyes turned to the tree and he almost gasped. The tree looked like someone or something had toppled it.

"That is not good. Definitely not" Bilbo stated and put his hands on his hips.

"Aye, is not" Fili murmured as he circled the tree.

"Maybe we should go and tell Thorin?" Mily suggested. She didn't want to get Thorin's anger on her for losing two ponies, but hey, this wasn't her fault. Nor Bilbo's fault. Yet she knew that Thorin would get angry for them too. And she also knew that Thorin would get angry for them if they didn't tell him. The things were only going to get worse from this and Thorin would surely strangle them all, starting with his nephews. 

"Aah, no, let's not worry him. Me and Kee thought that maybe our burglar could look into this" Fili said and turned then to look at Bilbo. Bilbo let out a little laugh. Then he turned to serious. Fili wasn't joking, he really wanted Bilbo to do something to this.

"Well, ahh... Looks like something big stumbled down these trees" Bilbo stated. Vera rolled her eyes.  _Yes, thank you, master burglar, everyone of us can see that._ She thought as she moved nearer to trolls camp, now when she somewhat knew where it was.

"That was our thinking" Kili mumbled. Fili started to follow Vera, thinking she might have noted something.

"They are something  _very_ big aand possibly quite dangerous. We are in luck if we'll find Ellie and the ponies alive" Bilbo said as he walked next to Fili, still looking around himself. Where on earth where the bowls?

"Hey, there's a light!" Fili said lowering his voice and going down. Bilbo and Vera turned their gaze to where Fili was looking. Light, indeed.

"Come 'ere!" Fili said quietly and started to move towards the light, Kili, Bilbo and Vera following him. Mily followed them a few seconds later after noticing that they were moving. After a few steps they all squat behind the big log. They all could see a light in the woods, most likely coming from a camp fire. Only that this camp wasn't theirs, but the ones that had stole the ponies. And the rough voices told them too that they weren't alone in here.

"What is it?" Bilbo asked in hushed voice. Mily shot her glace towards the others, knowing the answer and still fearing it.

"Trolls" Kili said, angered. As if he now just believed that there was indeed a danger here. Something that was threatening them, their ponies and might have hurt his friend. He stood up and started to move fast towards the light, Fili and Vera following him. It took Bilbo and Mily a second to realize that these three were going towards the danger without even hesitating. Then they followed them.

"We should tell someone" Mily murmured. Bilbo shot a glance at her and pursued his lips. Maybe they indeed should have, if they were dealing with trolls. After running a while they all had to hide somewhere. One of the trolls stumbled right next to them, holding two ponies.

"He got Myrtle and Minty!" Bilbo gasped and turned to look Mily and then Vera, Fili and Kili. Then Bilbo turned to look after troll and sighed. He felt bad for the ponies and feared for Ellie. He was also afraid of himself and Mily. And maybe a little for Vera too, even thought this young lady didn't seem to be afraid. But they all might still die.

"We have to act, we have to something!" Bilbo said and walked next to Fili and Kili, both of them glancing at him now. Kili stood up fast and pushed Bilbo nearer to trolls camp.

"Yes, you should. The mountain trolls are slow and stupid and you're so smart. They'll never see you! It's perfectly safe! And we'll be right behind you!" Kili said and he and his brother started to shoo Bilbo towards the camp even Bilbo tried to deter and suggest a better idea.

"If you run any problems, hoot twice like a Barn Owl" Fili said and pushed Bilbo again. Bilbo sighed and gave up. Maybe he should just go to the trolls camp and try to figure out something. So he started to halfly run and halfly tiptoe towards the camp.

"I'll go with him!" Vera said seconds later and ran after Bilbo. She couldn't just let him go alone. Mily tried to stop her, but Fili and Kili catch her arms, shaking their heads. Vera was long gone now, Mily would just give away them all to trolls.

"Miliyana, we must get the others. Those two can't fight by themselves. And our baby sister might be in trouble" Fili said with firm voice. Mily looked down at young dwarfs eyes, pushing her long and light brown hair behind her ear. She was scared. Scared of her own life, scared of her friends lives, of poor Bilbo's who she had so bond of. And these dwarves, who she still didn't liked or trusted. 

"Miliyana, we... We know you are scared. And you have all the rights to be. But I ask you to have a courage to come with us and ask help from uncle and the others. Then you can stay behind and you don't need to fight against the trolls" Kili encourage her. Mily shifted her eyes to the younger brother. Have courage? Doesn't need to fight? She looked down at her feet, frowning. Stay behind...? Don't fight, but protect... Yes, that's it! She shot her eyes to the brothers, feeling something bubbling inside her chest. Mily cave a little nod to the young brothers of Durin and was met with familiar grins. They could do this! She could do this!

* * *

Thorin was angry like a lion. He showed his anger to his nephews who had been watching over the ponies. He mentioned Ellie, who had gotten herself in trouble probably on purpose, and Vera, who was now trying to save her friend and the four ponies. With the burglar, who probably didn't know how to do his job right. The four watchers got their part of the kings anger, and Bilbo got a tiny bit because he tried to do good, tried to do his job. And Thorin sure looked like he could smash the heads of his nephews with thin branch. Well, Mily, who got only deadly glare from Thorin, had guessed it and had been prepared for his rage. Unlike Fili and Kili. They looked like they were taken aback for their uncle's anger, not so sure anymore how to act or what to do or say. So, Mily decided to open her mind, tell the others her tiny little idea. It wasn't much, but it would help them. Or at least she wished it would.

"Thorin, you have a right to be angry for these four idiots, but now is not a time for it! We need those ponies,  _you_ need a burglar, meaning  _Bilbo_ , and Ellie and Vera will probably haunt us to eternity if they die. We need to act!" Mily shouted. After her few first words the company, including Thorin, got silenced. Thorin eyed Mily, sensing her fear and actually understanding it. She was the clever one of the three of the young ladies. Being afraid of the wilds, knowing that death could wait across the corner. But he also admired Ellie's and Vera's courage to go against an enemy that could kill them easily, even they didn't have a weapon. _That should be changed._ Thorin realized. They needed weapons. And Bilbo - their burglar - tried his best to help too. The stupidity could cost their lives and Thorin didn't want it, so he nodded.

"Yes, we should go to save them all. The ponies and your three friends. Get your weapons, we're leaving in a minute!" Thorin said, now calmer. There was still anger in his voice, but now he tried to control it, act like a leader. Fili and Kili shot both thankful glances towards Mily, both still knowing they were getting a beating from their uncle.

"Thorin, there's one more thing I'd like to say" Mily said, approaching the king. Thorin turned once again to watch her, wondering what she had to say this time. 

"Someone needs to stay behind to watch over the ponies so they don't run away while the trolls are being slaughtered. I can't fight and I don't support killing, so I thought I could as well as stay behind and watch over them" Mily suggested, biting her lip after speaking her mind out. This was neither going to work well for them or then they all were going to be doomed. But Mily didn't see any other possibility. She felt that this was least she could do for now, and she was ready to try. No matter what! And Mily wasn't going to run to Rivendell, not when they would be chased by orcs riding on wargs. She was slim and in fair fitness, but if someone expected her to run a triple marathon to Rivendell, she'd rather die there and immediately. Running wasn't her thing, nor Ellie's or Vera's. Bilbo might be another thing, and dwarves could go and fuck themselves in this.  _How does anyone based on reader in the fanfic's survive from this scene? Running Gods knows how many kilometer's. _ They were neither super hyper lucky, blessed by Valars or just in good fitness. If Mily had to guess, she's say neither one of two first options. Or both, since the heroine was always meant to be in Middle Earth to save the day.

"Aye, someone needs to stay behind. You stay, with Balin and Dori. Balin, Dori! You stay and watch over the ponies with Miliyana!" Thorin said. Mily sighed, relieved. Step by step she felt like doing something good for this company, after being useless so many weeks. Finally she would be the sharp object in the flesh of the company. Well, only if the ponies stayed alive and they would get alive to Rivendell. Only then she truly would give her last laugh.

* * *

Bilbo was sneaking closer to the trolls, when Vera appeared next to him. Bilbo almost had a heart attack and he even let out a little squeak. Vera looked to him in surprise and then she smiled.

"Sorry, Bilbo" she whispered and patted him on the shoulder. Bilbo rolled his eyes, his heart still beating hard in his chest. They continued to sneak near trolls camp, only to be stopped by snapping sound of thin branch. Bilbo and Vera hide themselves near undergrowth in seconds. They could see camp now, only to notice that one of the three trolls turned to look at their way. Vera frowned. In the movies there was three trolls. There were three trolls sitting near camp fire, and one of the trolls was mixing the soup. Behind the trolls were their four ponies, all of them still alive and seeming to be OK. Frightened but OK.

"That snapping sound was too light to be a troll" Bilbo muttered, still eyeing his surroundings.

"Exactly my thoughts, master burglar" Vera said in quiet voice. They had heard only snapped sound of the branch, but nothing more. Then they shared a look, when a lamp light on their heads. Well, literally.

 _"Ellie!"_ they grumbled in unison. Good thing was that she was still alive, but bad thing was that Vera and Bilbo had no idea where she had tiptoed to. And they had to rescue the ponies, so the young lady could as well as save herself as she seemed to be alright.

After what felt an hour they moved again, behind one big tree. Vera looked at Bilbo and was about ask about their non-existing plan when Bilbo put his finger on her lips and shook his head.

"I'm going there, Vera. You stay here and keep watch. Whistle if something comes up" Bilbo said. Vera sighed and nodded.

"Fine, just wait a sec', Bilbo" she whispered and took a hunting knife from her hoodie's pocket in front of her stomach. Knife's blade was still in its case. And on the case was about a five centimeters long golden lion, standing on it's hind legs, a sword behind it's legs. Lion's other front leg was pointing forward and other upward, holding a sword. On top of the head of the lion was grown. Vera showed Bilbo how to take the hunting knife out of it's case, because there was some sort of lock in it. Bilbo frowned to it. " _To protect the children and idiots"_ Vera had explained. Well, understandable, Bilbo thought.Then Vera handed knife to him, commanding him to try and take the knife out of its case. After a few tries Bilbo finally got the idea. The hunting knifes hilt was black, as well as it's blade and case. The blade was about 14 centimeters long, and the hunting knife was all in all 26,5 centimeters long. The case's inner side had a single white spot, where had been written something. Samuli Tarkka. A name? A little smiled played on Vera's lips, when she noted Bilbo's severe face.

"That belonged to my father" she said simply, smile fading from her lips. Bilbo's eyes shot to her and his face fell.

"Oh... _O_ _h_ " Bilbo said and tried to hand the hunting knife back to Vera. But she just shook her head and pushed Bilbo's hand back.

"Bilbo, I'm sure the ponies are tide to that fence on front of them. You're gonna need this to free them, so take it with you" Vera whispered. Bilbo nodded, stern look on his face. He nodded and left. Vera sighed and crouch near the tree, spying on the three troll and Bilbo.

Five minutes later Vera was face palming. And screaming, mentally. She had given Bilbo her father's hunting knife so that the burglar won't try to steal the knife from one of the trolls. And Bilbo had just one job, ONE JOB, for Christ! Free the God damn ponies! Everything was going fine, until Bilbo had spotted something when one of the trolls had crapped his tankard. Something, that had crapped his interest and was far more important than the ponies, what Thorin Oakenshield's company actually needed. And, when Bilbo had tiptoed behind the troll, shit happened. The troll sneezed, crapped his tissue that was behind his back and somehow he also got Bilbo with it, and then it blow. After few seconds and a mighty troll scream and their shock, the three troll forgot their food and tried to interrogate information out of Bilbo. Who and what was it, what on earth is a burglarobit, did he have any companion near by and why did his feet have so much hair. You know, the usual question when you wanna make a frien... - NO! The trolls could accrue Bilbo's death, and maybe even the full company's if Gandalf wouldn't come early, and if the sun won't rise and Bilbo won't try and play some time for them.

And where on Bloody Mary's period was Ellie? She's better have some kind of an idea for their escape, otherwise she'd be more than dead.

"Gyaargh!" one of the trolls screamed, hopping on it's one feet and holding other. Kili had sliced trolls legs. 

"Drop 'im!" Kili shouted, stepping enough far from the trolls. They turned to look at his tiny, hairy thing on the ground, wondering was this too a burglarobit or something else?

"You wot??" the troll holding Bilbo asked. Kili grinned, and winked to Bilbo.

"I said, drop him" Kili repeated, swinging his sword and trying to act so cool. And majestic. And oh, there it goes, his majesty, flying high to the sky as one of the trolls throw Bilbo right onto him. Kili and Bilbo fall down, Kili dropping his sword so he wont accidentally stab Bilbo. And right after that Thorin and the company (minus Balin, Dori and Mily who had stayed behind to watch over the rest of the ponies) attacked from the woods. Scream and 'Ouch' came from the trolls and war screams came from the dwarves as they strike, swing their weapons, hit and what not do to the trolls. They did this all in order to kill the trolls, while their burglar seemed to remember why he was here in the first place. He went to the ponies, took Vera's hunting knife from it's case and started to saw the ropes. The blade was sharp and made sawing more easier to Bilbo and soon the ponies were free and running back to the other ponies, like Bilbo had whispered to them. They would be safe there again. Only that now he himself was in danger, as two of the trolls had catch him fro legs and hands. And so that he would stay alive, they made all the dwarves drop their weapons. Great. Just.... Great. And while all this was happening, near the tree where Vera was suppose to be.... Well, her spot was empty and the young girl herself was gone, like a fart in a desert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who know what the lion on Vera's hunting knifes case means and what it reflect, gets a cookie.
> 
> Also, a fun fact of day (for the tenth chapter, yay!): I always have to keep a wordbook open on other tab, because I forget words easily. Or how to write them. Sooooo, if there's some weird words or less used words in my fics, I may or may not blame the wordbook for it. *grin* 
> 
> But anyway, thank you for the kudos and comments! I'm trying to get back to writing, my inspiration seems to be still on Christmas vocation. ಠ╭╮ಠ


	11. Nameless heros

"Well, this could have been worse" Kili muttered. Thorin kicked him as hard as he could. But being in sack made it very hard. Bilbo had been caught by two trolls, and one of them made the dwarves drop their weapons. Otherwise their burglar would die. Thorin had dropped his sword first, then the company had followed him with annoyed and shamed grimace. To do this because of the Hobbit and in front of trolls! Thorin knew, that if they wouldn't show up soon, Balin and Dori would follow them here, and hopefully succeed to rescue them. Or most of them. And he hoped deep down that Ellie and Vera had some sort of plan to rescue them, since he hadn't seen neither one of them. And somehow he already knew that they were doing  _something_ , since his nephews had told him that Vera had followed Bilbo to trolls camp and this particular young lady was nowhere to be seen.

"At least we are not being grilled on that stick!" Kili growled to his uncle, sending few glares to him. Mostly because of the kick. Thorin rolled his eyes. They were all going to die, far from Erebor. Poor Dis was going to lose her family because of trolls.

"Not yet" Bilbo mumbled, mainly saying this to himself than pointing out to the others. Kili turned to look at the burglar, all hope slowly leaving from his eyes. Bilbo rolled his eyes. The young prince was far too optimistic in this situation. They were all going to die, most of them with empty stomach. Poor Bilbo, no one would look after his family's house.

Bilbo eyed the trolls, who had been arguing how they should cook the dwarves. Should they sit on them and make them jelly? Or skin them and make them a soup? Half of the dwarves were tied on the stick and one of the trolls was currently rolling it on the campfire.

"We'll just grill 'em and eat them, we don' 'ave much of time before sun rises. I don' wanna turn to stone" one of the trolls finally said. Bilbo turned his head a little and frowned his eyebrows. They had been here a few hours, and it was starting to be mornin. If they would be in luck, sun would rise high enough to turn these trolls to stone. But then again, they probably wouldn't have that much of an time, since trolls started to hurry cooking them. And they probably would kill everyone pretty soon. So, Bilbo got himself up and jumped a little closer to the trolls.

"You are making a very big mistake!" he said. The trolls and dwarves turned their full attention to Bilbo, who for a second regretted for opening his mouth. But, someone had to buy them time and non of the dwarves seemed clever enough to do so. And for the girls, well... Bilbo could only hope for the best, but they had been quiet for a hours.

"You can't reason with a twits!" Nori shouted, as other dwarves growled and shouted to Bilbo. Bilbo rolled his eyes.

"What does that make us?" Bofur asked.  _Indeed, my dear Bofur, indeed._ Bilbo thought as he sighed. He felt like being the only non twist around here, the only one who realized to play them some time. Well, the more the dwarves shouted and interrupted him and the trolls, the better. That could actually even work, if Bilbo only could pull from the right trigger.

"I meant - umm - I meant the seasoning" Bilbo said, and right after this he heard someone snort. Bilbo turned his head a little to the dwarves behind him. That was none of them. It kind of came abo....

"What about the seasoning?" one of the trolls asked, as he crouch closer to Bilbo. Bilbo turned his gaze back to trolls and let out a little, nervous laugh. He felt already so dead.

"Well, have you smelt them? I'm pretty sure sweaty, earthy and Valar's know whatish dwarf doesn't taste so good. You're gonna need something stronger than saliva to these guys" Bilbo said, pursuing his lips at the end and uplifted his brows. The dwarves were shouting, cursing, insulting Bilbo and Dwalin even promised to make sure that Bilbo would die on this guest. Bilbo rolled mentally his eyes. Well, at least the dwarves were somehow doing their job on buying time for them.

"What do ye know 'bout cooking dwarves?" troll, who was grilling dwarves, asked. Bilbo turned to look at him, his mouth open. He was pretty sure cooking them wasn't that different from cooking any other meat. Only that if you were going to eat a dwarf, you were going to need something little stronger to them. Or have no taste at all.

"Shut up and let the - urhm - burglarvohobbit talk" the crouched troll said. Bilbo turned his gaze between the to trolls, letting out a nervous sigh. This wasn't going to work, they were all going to die.

"The-the um... secret to cooking the dwarves is um..."  Bilbo started, but then he felt silent. He hadn't never skinned, killed or done nothing to his meat's. He knew how to cook a fish, but he always bought his meat from the market. And, yes, he did not know how to cook a meat that was still in form of an animal - cow's, big's, chicken... You name it.

"Yes? C'mon, tell us the secret!" the troll started to grow inpatient and started to hurry him. Bilbo would have stamped his leg, if he wouldn't be in the sack.

"Yes, yes I'm doing it! The secret is to... skin them first!" Bilbo almost shouted. His comment started an uproar among the dwarves. They had been shouting all the time, but this took them on new level. Bilbo was sure that if the trolls wouldn't kill him, the dwarves would.

"What a pile of rubbish! I've eaten plenty of 'em with their skin on 'em!" the grill-master troll pointed out. Bilbo sighed. Well, at least he tried. He eyes to around him quickly, trying to find a other way to save them. Or see the girls. But he instead saw something else that set new fire of hope in him: a figure of Gandalf running just outside of the trolls camp.

"His right, we've eaten also a raw dwarf!" the third troll, who had been quiet for a some time, came and tried to take and eat Bombur, well until he got very familiar looking bowl (still full of cold soup) on his head. Because bowl had dropped backwards on the trolls head, all the soup was flowing on trolls head and back. The camp had fallen silence, which seemed to be a miracle. Bilbo turned to look a tree, where the bowl had been thrown. But he saw no one, the leafs were far tho thick for that. The troll took a few steps back, showed the bowl away from his head and turned then to look around him, what the other two trolls were already doing. Dwarves were hoping that Dori and Balin had finally come to save them, but Bilbo guessed two other person saving them.

After a few seconds Bilbo could hear a loud thud and few seconds later a pot dropped from the tree, turning upside down and black little dots started to drop on the troll, who had just gotten a bowl on him. And seconds later the pot dropped on his head, staying there like it had been glued on the trolls head. He started to scream and wave his arms.

"Take 'em off! TAKE 'EM OFF!" he screamed and was stomping around the camp. Bilbo's mouth was open, his eye and eyebrows set on a "What-the-fuck-did-I-just-saw?" look. Just like the every dwarf had. This literally came by an surprise to all of them.

"Wot are ye talking about?" other troll asked as he went to grab the pot on the other ones head.

"The moving lil' thing!" the pot headed troll screamed. Bilbo stared them, as the other one tried to pull the pot away and the other one was still swinging like a drunken dancer on the dance floor. As this all had taken only a few second, and the grill master started to move closer to other trolls, a bowl flew on its heads from the other tree. It turned to look around itself, throwing the bowl to the ground. Then, apples and pine cone's started to flew from the trees, hitting the trolls and making them turn around as they tried to find the attackers.

"Ellie... Vera" Kili whispered. Thorin turned to look at him, noticing how big grin his younger nephew had. A little grin grew on his lips too. So, not Balin and Dori then? Well, they probably wouldn't do this - throwing things at trolls from the trees -, but just attack to the trolls. Or maybe first try to free some of them before attacking. Then Thorin turned to look at Bilbo, noticing how he was looking up to the trees. He followed, not seeing the girls in the trees. Thorin lowered his eyes back to the trolls, when he heard one of them scream. Troll who had gotten other pot on him and was now hitting his back, shoulders and front. Same tiny little dots had dropped on him from the other tree. Thorin couldn't help but grin. One troll was hitting himself, one tried to pull the pot from the other and the third one was swinging around and screaming.

Then, something flew from the tree, hitting the troll who had gotten just apples and pine cones on him. The item got stuck on it's head and after a few seconds the troll started to scream. Something started to fly around him and Thorin heard Bilbo, Kili and some of the company let out a horrid sound.  _Bees!_ Thorin realized. Someone had just thrown a beehive to troll's head, and the bee's were now protecting their destroyed home. Then the final miracle happened.

"The dawn will take you all!" Gandalf's voice carried from behind the company. The boulder behind them got tear apart and the rays of the morning sun shone to the camp. Trolls let out deadly screams as they turned to stone, one of them still having the pot on it's head. And there it stayed, the ends of the world. Years and years later even one nameless Hobbit wondered, how and why it was there.

The dwarves and Bilbo stayed quiet for a second, before they started to shout in joy. All of them stayed alive and no one had gotten themselves eaten. Gandalf appeared to the camp, looking down the dwarves in sacks and then he turned to look the other half who were almost cooked. Then Gandalf's eyes drifted up to the trees.

"It's alright now, you may come down!" Gandalf called out. Bilbo turned to look at Gandalf next to him, feeling a relieved.

"It's nice to see you again, Gandalf!" he said and would have patted his arm, if not in the sack.

* * *

 

Stepping to the trolls camp, I saw the spit-dwarves on campfire, Bilbo being freed from the sack by Gandalf, and the rest of the dwarves still being in the sack behind Bilbo and Gandalf. As I was stepping better in everyone's view, I hear Vera's cursing far from the bushes. I rolled my eyes and smiled. She had been great help to me and I'd give her a kiss, if I wouldn't have the ego size of an Erebor. Not that I know exactly how big the mountain was.

"Ellie!" Bofur screamed happily when he saw me. I smiled to him and waved. The others started to scream my name too, when they saw me. What a pleasant feeling it was, when about ten defenseless dwarves were screaming my name, Fili and Kili being the loudest. I turned my gaze around the camp, noting that only Dwalin and Thorin were quiet, and Dori, Balin and Mily weren't here. I hoped they had stayed behind at our camp.

Vera stomped to the camp, glaring behind herself and then turning to look the company.

"Oh how nice of y'all to scream my name too. I almost love you all even more" Vera said, annoyance shining from her voice. And if one could smell a sarcasm, her voice reeked at it. "Oh, wait. I  _don't_ love any of you" Vera added and glared everything and everyone. Then she turned to look at me.  _"Yeah, sure you don't love everyone here. I know there's at least on here who you like more than others"_ I signaled to her. Vera frowned, and a little blush grew on her cheeks. Smiling a little to myself I move to free the dwarves from sacks, feeling Vera's eyes on my back.

"Nice to see ye too, Vera" Dwalin's voice called suddenly over others shouting. Vera sighed and moved closer to the dwarves on top of the campfire. She knelt before them and took one single ant from Bofur's side. 

"It's nice to see you guys too, being alive of course" Vera smiled and turned her eyes to Dwalin, who had a little smile on his lips. Nori snarled and moved a little. Then he started to complain how something was moving on his neck. Vera grinned and remembered, how Ellie had proudly told her how she'd drop the pots full of ants to the head of trolls. And she had, while Vera had dragged the other, smaller pot, to the other tree.

"But to be honest, a plan like that doesn't kill trolls" Dwalin murmured. Nori snickered, Oin let out a little humming voice and even Ori agreed. Vera rolled her eyes and dropped the ant she had hold between her finger on Dwalin's bald head. He let out mighty roar and then he was cursing Vera to the lowest Hell. Or whatever replacement they had in Middle earth to bad people's souls.

"Love ya too, Dwalin" Vera said, smirking to the bald dwarf. My snicker carried over the camp, as I was freeing Thorin, who'd I'd saved for the last. Because he was an asshole.

"Say as if you mean it, Vera!" I said louder, still smirking. Thorin squint his eyes, looking at me with stone mask set on his face. Yet a little smile broke on his face. My smirk grew bigger, as I lowered the sack as far that Thorin could take the rest off himself. And he did, not really liking that someone help him. Even more someone who he didn't know or trusted. Even when she is one's nephews best friend - and almost like an sister to them.

When everyone were free, they were neither poking the trolls or stretching around. But no, non of the dwarves were thanking me and Vera. Their ego was at least twice as big as mine. So, I and Vera were standing a little apart from the others, when even Bilbo was talking with others. Which was good. He had to get on with the dwarves. There was no any logical explanation to it, he just had to get on with them. The story wouldn't work without him, even there were three person poking their noses in it now. 

"Dwalin thought your idea was a flop. _'Kill the trolls'_ he said. As if he could do any better" Vera murmured suddenly, her hands grossed over her chest.

"Aye, Thorin said that too" I murmured and glared the king, who was smiling a little to Gandalf. He had been saying that when I went over them, glaring at me and throwing invisible knife's to my direction. As thought as that helps.  _He sure has a nice smile, thought_. I thought and sighed. Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Fili, Kili and Ori appeared next to us, and Nori stayed further from us, glaring me and Vera. I glared him back and felt an urge to show him my middle finger. Nori had been an ass the full time we had been on a road. Gloin had been like that too. Same goes to Oin, only that he seemed to be a little bit nicer to Mily who showed respect to his work. Everyone had been more or less like an ass, but they were the worst. And depending the person, some dwarves endured the person more or less.

"Say that to them, lasses" Bofur joked and winked to others. I exchanged looks with Vera, and well...

"Oi, Dwalin, did I ever tell you how you have the bests of the bests ideas. Like, ever!" Vera shouted. Dwalin, who was at the other side of the trolls camp, turned slowly to glare at us. Well, me and Vera. I turned my "No you didn't, gurl" look to Vera, who was grinning like she had just won a triple lottery.

"Ye are so dead, lass. So dead!" Fili stated and looked more than horrified. Vera was buzzing her lips and waved Fili's comment of. Fili turned even more horrid, while Kili took my arm and mumbled something of taking me safer place and funerals. I looked between the brothers and then Vera, who was throwing challenging glare to Dwalin.

"I think it's the best to leave those two alone" I mumbled and Kili acted. He dragged me to near his uncle, Fili, Ori and -ur family close behind us. Nori had moved to do other interesting stuff, not really caring where or what his younger brother was doing.

As we got to Thorin, Gandalf and Dwalin, who was having a glare contest with Vera, Dori showed up to the trolls camp. He had sword in his hand and he looked like he might attack on what ever here was, but relaxed when saw us all alive and in one peace, and the three trolls dead and stony. When he noted Thorin, he came to us and told that all the ponies had returned and were alright. They - he, Balin and Mily - had gotten worried when other's hadn't returned.

"We got a little problem here, but it's fine now. We'll go to seek the troll's cave, you go back to the ponies" Thorin said and Dori nodded. He made sure his brothers were alright and then he left, Ori following behind him. Thorin started to shout his new orders. Thorin, Gandalf, Dwalin, Gloin, Bofur, Nori, myself and Vera would go investigate the trolls cave while the rest of the company would go back to our camp, pack our staff and the ponies asap and then we would move on. There would be no breakfast, but we could eat while we rode since I had gotten us some apples. Good thing I had picked them then!

* * *

The cave was close to the camp. Distance between them was about 500 meters and we could smell it a few hundred meters away. Kili had sneaked with us while Fili had gone back to camp to pack our stuff. Well, his and Kili's, since I hadn't taken anything from my bag.

Gandalf stepped in the cave first, the dwarves right behind him. I, Vera and Kili followed close behind, since I and Vera had to stay out to "get some breath". The smell was so bad and so strong that I felt like throwing up.

"It smell like shit, months old dead bodies and God knows what" Vera stated, holding her nose. Bofur and Gloin made coughing and throwing up like sounds. 

"Well, this  ** _is_** a troll cave. Be careful where you touch!" Gandalf said. I rolled my eyes. Yeah, lets go and touch and lick everything here so we catch every disease there is in Middle earth.

"Yeah, if you don't wanna catch a ebola or other disease" I murmured. Dwalin and Gloin turned to look at me and I uplifted my eyebrows. "What?" Dwalin just sighed and continued going, while Gloin was still eyeing me. Then his attention went to Bofur, who had found gold coins laying on the ground and one chest, also full of gold coins.

"Nori, get a shovel!" Gloin said as he walked next Bofur and eyed the golden coins. I and Vera exchanged looks. This was the payment that Bilbo would get after the journey was over. Well, at least it was in the movie. We wouldn't know, if Bilbo would get them  _now_. Thorin, Kili and Gandalf were little deeper in the cave, looking at the stuff in there, while Dwalin was standing on watch. Thorin found the swords he and Gandalf would be using and Kili found a bow and quiver, without any arrows in it.

"Hey, Ellie, didn't you say that you can use a bow and arrows?" Kili's voice carried over next to Thorin. Thorin turned to eye his nephew before he turned to show the swords to Gandalf. I let out a humming voice and went over to Kili. 

"Yeah, the only weapon I use" I told him and eyed the bow he had found. It was whole and even the quiver seemed to be in a good shape. Kili gave the bow to me and started to wipe the spider web away from the quiver. Then he smiled and helped me wear it. After a few minutes I had quiver on my back, its leather sash going over my right shoulder, my chest and left side to my back. Thorin and Gandalf had been talking about the swords, and I had been listening to their talks with half an ear. Yes, they were made by elves in the first age and yes, Thorin didn't first want to take the other one. But Gandalf had persuaded him to take it. Thorin had stayed with me and Kili, making sure that Kili would teach me how to graft arrows. Since in the cave didn't have any and Kili didn't have a spare arrows for me. Gandalf had taken one more sword and was now giving it to Vera, who was bemoaning that she didn't know how to use one and that she had already a hunting knife.

"Just take the sword, lass. I'll teach ye how to use it" Dwalin sighed and Vera huffed, accepting the sword. Gandalf had a amused and content look on his face. After we all had our weapons and Gloin, Bofur and Nori had made their long time deposit by burying the chest in the ground. Then we all left from the cave, Gandalf coming out lastly, one smaller sword on his hand.

We walked back to our camp and found out that almost everything was already set up there. Mily had been putting Vera's and hers stuff ready and was now helping Bilbo to pack things up on Myrtle. Gandalf went straight up to them and held out the sword. Mily was shaking her head and put up her hands. Gandalf sighed and gave the tiny sword to Bilbo, who glanced at Mily and then he took it. Then he probably told Gandalf how he couldn't use it, and Gandalf telling him how it was OK, and how it was a true courage to know when to spare a life and when take one. Mily noticed me and Vera, when Gandalf went to check if we were ready to move on. We went to her and Bilbo's side.

"Bilbo here already told how you two saved them from the trolls" Mily said, with a little smile. Bilbo lifted his eyes from the sword and looked at me and Vera, just now noticing that we were there. Then he turned to look at Mily.

"Well, you were interested that how we escaped them, so I had to tell you" Bilbo said to Mily. I let out a little huff and rolled my eyes. Of course Mily wanted to know as soon as possible what had happened there. And why it had taken so long. 

"But I just don't understand, why you two waited so long before you started to act?" Bilbo then continued, turning to look at me and Vera. Mily turned to look at us, wanting to hear it too. I looked at Vera, who motioned me to talk.  _"This was your idea, dude"_ She signaled me. Well, fair enough.

"Well, firstly I had to gather everything there, which took some time. I even managed to take those bowls you lay down on the little rock earlier" I said and smirked, when Bilbo's mouth went an perfect "O" as he remembered that he had indeed lost those two bowls. Then he shut his mouth and glared at me.

"Really, Ellie? You wasted food on those trolls?" Bilbo questioned. Mily and Vera let out a laugh and I just rolled my eyes. Bilbo seemed to care about weird thing sometimes.

"Well, nobody had eaten the food and I wasn't going to eat it myself!" I pointed out to him and he let out sigh. Bilbo admired that it was no use to fight about something like this, so he motioned me to keep talking.

"Anyway, after everything was ready and you guys were fighting against the trolls and got then captured, I had to coax Vera to help me. And, when she did promise to help me out, we had to wait for the morning. I was planning on to lure the trolls to the sunlight after our little surprise attack, but Gandalf broke that bolder and help us out" I told to Bilbo and Mily. Neither of them didn't get any change to comment this as Thorin's shout carried over the company.

"Somethings coming!" Everyone got them self ready for whatever danger was coming to us now. I kind of guessed, what was happening to next, but I wasn't so sure since we were back to our camp and not near the trolls cave. It would be neither the orcs or Radagast the Brown.

"Get together! Hurry, now!" Gandalf shooed us, as some took their weapons and some tried to keep the ponies from running away. Vera got her sword and was keeping it ready, while I, Mily and Bilbo went out to help with the ponies. We would reaaaly need them. I didn't fancy the idea of running to Rivendell from the orcs. Or to walk to all the way to Erebor.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" a voice called out, as a sleigh pulled by rabbits appeared from the forest. And this person, a man, with beard and long hear seemed to be out of breath as he looked around himself.

"Radagast! It's Radagast the Brown!" Gandalf called out, and the dwarves seemed to relax a little. Vera put her sword away and then she came next to me, giving me funny look. I uplifted my eyebrows and turned then to look the two wizards, who were now talking. Radagast was talking about how something was terribly wrong and Gandalf should know about it. As Gandalf tried to get him talk, everyone else went back to their ponies, who some weird way had stayed all there. Mily moved to Gandalf's horse. Fili and Kili appeared next to me, Kili taking the reins from my hand.

"What a funny looking wizard" Kili murmured, glancing at me. I let out a agreeing voice and smiled to him. Radagast had birds shit on his face, hair and beard, and his ropes were a little worn out. Fili looked at his brother and shook his head. Kili uplifted his shoulders and turned then to look at the wizards, who were now murmuring to each other.

"I wouldn't say a funny looking, but yeah... He definitely should clean himself up a little" Vera murmured and was elbowed by Fili. "But it's true, Fili! You would clean up your face, if a bird would land its shit on it!" Kili let out a little laugh when he imagined his brother having birds poop on his face. Fili let out a sigh, Vera rolled her eyes and I tried to hold my own laugh. I and Kili exchange looks and we both let out a snigger. Thorin turned his warning eyes on us and I tried to control my laughter again, as Kili was turning his eyes to the sky and trying to calm down.

"Watch out, you'll get shit on your face" Vera murmured. Giggle escaped from me and Fili, and everyone turned to look on us. Radagast was eyeing on me and Vera with interest and then he turned to look at Mily. Thorin appeared next to us, wanting to give us a word or two, but he didn't even get his mouth open when Radagast was wondering Gandalf's merry companion. Gandalf told him that we were on a quest, but didn't tell any details of it.

"Well, I hope that you know what you are doing, Gandalf. Bad, strange things are happening and this might not be a time to have a picnic. And I think that young lady dwarf looks far too young to be on this quest of yours, Gandalf" Radagast said and nodded on my direction. I opened my mouth to state something, but Thorin but his hand on my shoulder and shook his head.

"The poo poo face was just calling me a dwarf! And I don't look _that_ young!" I hissed and toss my hand to the wizards direction. Fili had grin on his face and looked liked he'd break down any time soon, while Kili was already giggling behind his hand. Thorin shot a glare to his nephews and then he turned to look at me.

"You are small person, Ellie, as is Vera. You two will be easily mixed to dwarves, so don't take it to heart" Thorin said in calm voice and rubbed my hand. I sighed and nodded. It had just hurt my ego a little that someone called me a dwarf and thought I was one. And when someone called me a little - mentioning that one person was dwarf himself and in my understanding should be half of my side. All my thoughts were cut off, when a howl carried over the forest. Oooh shit, our chasers had arrived. 

"Was that a wolf? Are the-Are there wolves out there?" Bilbo asked, horrid clear in his question. Everyone were looking around themselves, the ponies started to act restless again.

"Wolf, no, that was not a wolf" Bofur said and glanced at Bilbo. We didn't see anything, but heard soon another howl. And soon after one of the wargs found us. Dwalin, Gloin and Nori had their weapons on it in seconds, but it still let out deadly screams, which would alarm the others.

"Warg scout, which means the orc pack isn't far behind!" Thorin said angrily and turned to look at Gandalf, who was now eyeing us. Thorin had a sword on other hand and he was keeping his other hand in front of me, as if he tried to keep me out of trouble. 

"We should get moving!" Mily called out. Everyone turned to look at her, all confused. Then they turned to look neither Gandalf or Thorin. Mily looked at others, sighing. "I know its dangerous, but we have to. Staying here is dangerous too" Radagast was eyeing Mily for a second and then turned to look back at Gandalf.

"The lady elf is right, you need to move on. I'll drive the orcs off" Radagast said. Everyone frowned, including Mily. First the wizard was calling me a dwarf and now he was calling Mily an elf? He might have been eating too many mushrooms this morning.

"These are Gundabad's wargs. They'll outrun you!" Gandalf said and didn't seem to trust Radagast on this. The dwarves instead were already climbing on their ponies. Vera and Bilbo were on their pony and I was sitting behind Fili. My heart was banging in my chest and I actually was starting to get scared. In the movies the company had run from the orcs, but now we were on the ponies. And no it wasn't sure, if we could make it, since it felt harder to hide with these big animals. Literally anything could happen, and I felt scared since I couldn't prepare for it, like I had done with the trolls. Well, at least we don't need to run. And this seemed to be the only good thing right now.

"These are Rhosgobel's rabbits! I'd like to see them try" Radagast said, as if he had just thrown a bet to Gandalf. Gandalf sighed and turned to Mily and his horse. As Gandalf was hopping on his horse, Mily turned to look at the Brown wizard, who gave a mischievous smile to her.

"You can drive the orcs to other direction, as we head through east?" Mily questioned when she had gotten herself behind Gandalf. Radagast's smile went wider and he nodded.

"You can count on that, lady" he said and was off to get the orc pack to chase him instead of the company. And the company started to move, hoping that we wouldn't need to fight over these orcs.


	12. Path to freedom

Everything's fine. Just perfectly fine. Nah, just joking, really, everything was going to be fucked up and we're going to die. We are currently riding on yellowish grass, poor ponies going as fast as they can. And as fast as dwarves dared to make them run - they didn't want to tire the animals. Then we'd be in trouble.

As if we already wouldn't be in any trouble. We were going east, probably towards the Rivendell as Gandalf, and Mily since she sat behind him, was leading us and shouting time to time where we should go. Or rather, he only shouted _"This way, you fools!"_ Few times I heard the dwarves growl, wondering where the wizard was leading us. We needed temporary shelter that would be more protective than what wilderness had to give. I also noted, how nervous Vera and Bilbo were, Bilbo even clutching his tiny sword. Trolls had been one thing, for all of us. Slow, stupid creatures, easily manipulated if you knew what to do and you didn't hesitate to do it. And if sunlight was on your side and made them into a stone. But orcs and wargs were complete another thing. Deadly, fast (especially wargs were), and their only meaning seemed to be killing everything and everyone, who were theirs or their masters enemy. If you couldn't fight or run faster than any warg, you'd be as good as dead.

And I felt like I was going to die today. Or rather, we all were going to die today. I still could hear the howls, though not so near us.

"Wasn't that poo poo face supposed to take the orc pack anywhere else but east?" I cursed, glancing over my shoulder. No orcs, wargs or brown wizards on the sight. Kili shot a quick, worried look to me and then to his brother. They shared a quiet talk between themselves and the Fili turned to look me.

"We'll get somewhere safe, I promise. Orcs won't get us, not today" he said and gave my hand a squeeze. I automatically tighten my hands on his waist. If he was meaning to make me feel better, it didn't work. It almost made me feel worst.

"And go where? I'd be OK, if that wizard wouldn't lead the orcs in our pass!" I sighed and pressed my forehead on Fili's nape. Radagast had brought the orcs near us few times now, and we had been on the road a little more than an hour. Bofur slowed his ponies pace and was now riding next to us. I turned my head a little right, seeing how Bofur was watching me firmly.

"Don't ye worry, lass. I'm sure Gandalf found a safe place where we can stay safe over night" he said with a little smile, trying to confide me. I smiled him back a little. Oh aye, he had found us place. Thought, the dwarves wouldn't like it. I would like it, Vera would like it, and Mily would definitely love it. We came to stop behind a big boulder, Gandalf peeking over the edge. I could hear the howls of the wargs, shouts of the orcs and once or twice a familiar voice of Radagast, when he laughed and scoffed orcs. If I wouldn't be convinced that he's a little more than out of his mind, this would be the moment when I'd admire that. No one with a clear mind wouldn't be laughing while running from orcs and wargs.

We were moving again. Then we stopped behind other boulder, not that big that we would be hidden behind it. We had to duck our heads when the orcs were nearby. Then we moved, only to be stopped again. Radagast and his over sized rabbits went only ten meter in front of us, orcs right behind him. I was holding my breath. If the ponies would make any noise, the orcs and wargs would hear us. And then we would be doomed.

"We're gonna die" I heard Vera whimper. Dwalin sent a glare to her direction, but didn't say anything. I looked over to my friend, seeing that she was scared. Like myself, she just didn't need to sit and pray to survive. She had to ride the goddamn pony and make sure it stayed controlled. If we would survive this chase, or this whole journey, I'd put the horses and ponies a whole new level. I came to sudden realization that we were moving again, but entirely another direction. And we were going even faster than before. What had I missed? I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Bifur staring at me. Behind him I could see wargs. And orcs. But not our dear Radagast, who probably was being chased by few orcs. I had been so deep in my thoughts that I hadn't noted what had happened. Because of the goddamn metvursts. One of the rides must have heard us, or rather, the pony that had let out a nervous neigh.

The area around us started to change a little, not that it matter much. Just that those few Spruce's and hills were now covering our surroundings so that we couldn't see well where the orcs and wargs were. The ponies were going as fast as they could, our hunters catching us every passing minute. I had lost track of time, and was clutching on Fili, fear surrounding me. This wasn't how I imagined our journey going, and this definitely wasn't how I imagine myself dying. Getting killed by an orc or been eaten by wargs, and being this near Rivendell. Finally we had to stop, near few bolder's and Spruce's. Some of the dwarves had hopped down of their ponies and were killing orcs and wargs that came too close. Kili was shooting the orcs further from us. That was probably when I came a little to my senses.

"Arrows. I need arrows" I said to no one particularly. The words just left from my mouth, without me even realizing it.

"No, you stay back!" I heard deep voice call close to me and Fili. I moved my head to see Thorin glaring around to himself, and then his deep blue eyes turned to me. For a second we just looked each other. Then Thorin turned his eyes to his older nephew, who I was still clutching like my life depended on it. We were still sitting on pony, that was breathing heavily from all the running and carrying two people on top of it. Well, a dwarf and human.

"Keep the lass safe" Thorin said to Fili, glanced at me one last time and then he ran of to help the others killing the orcs and wargs. Fili patted my hand and turned to smile to me. I looked him and shook my head. We were not going to be OK, not unless some miracle would land upon us. Fili sighed and turned to look the others around us. Nearly everyone were killing the orcs, only Ori, Bombur, Oin, Vera, Bilbo and Mily were holding the ponies at place. Clumsily I dropped down from the pony and took the nearest pony's reins from Oin, who had trouble with three ponies, and started to pat it's mane. Fili had dropped down from the pony's back too and was now batting my shoulder, before he turned to take our pony's reins to his hand. Then he turned to look around us, trying to figure out, what was the situation.

"Where is Gandalf?" Dori shouted. Mily turned to look the big boulder behind us. I turned my eyes to the boulder's direction, tying to see the wizard. But, he was no one to be seen. Unless... I turned my eyes directly to the few boulders and came to think that we had already reached Rivendell's secret passage. But how were we going to get the ponies down there?! There was slight landing behind the smaller boulder's and I could remember it clearly how the dwarves had slide it down in the movie.

"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin shouted as he crush one poor wargs skull with his ax. I turned to look around us, seeing that more and more wargs and their riders were surrounding us.

"This way you fools! And take the ponies with you!" Gandalf's sudden shout came from the boulder's. Half of the group turned to look at him and after a few seconds Mily, Bombur and Oin started to get the ponies to the boulder's, Bilbo and Vera following them. Gandalf helped them to get the ponies down and I could only stare. I just couldn't imagine them sliding down like they were on children's slide.

"Ellie, move!" Thorin shouted and I turned to see him, and the rest of the company, running towards us and Fili taking the rest of the ponies to boulder's. I started to take the pony to there too, realizing that staying put would get me and the pony killed. Thorin ran past me, to check that everyone would get there safe. Or he was checking, what Gandalf was up to and where we were going. When I got my pony there, Gandalf helped me behind the smaller boulders and then the pony. I looked down, staring at stairs made of stone. Not a slide then?

"Ellie, dear, I know you are scared, but you must move on" Gandalf said and urged me to move on. I took a better hold on the reins and started to move down very carefully. Balin appeared on the other side of the pony and helped me to get the pony down the stairs. I wondered what ever they were Gandalf's magic made stairs or if we even were on other secret passage. When we got down and far enough that everyone would fit in the cave, Balin patted the pony's mane and then he turned to look at me.

 "We're safe soon, lass. Don't ye worry" I nodded to him and tried to smile. I knew now that we were safer than before. Soon Thorin and Kili came down, being the two lasts who got down. Gandalf made a quick count and then he nodded, a little smile playing on his lips. Everyone's safe, and everyone's alive. Then everyone turned their heads back up when we heard a horn and seconds later the sounds of battling could be heard. Something hit hard on the smaller boulder near the entrance and every dwarf made a small move to attack, who or what ever would come down. But no one came to the stairs, so everyone assumed that one of the orcs had drop dead up there. Few minutes went on and then I heard Vera curse and Dwalin muttering something. I turned and saw them further in the cave, staring at each other. Then Vera sighed and turned to look behind her.

"I cannot see where the path leads. Thought I think we should follow it" she said and then she turned to look at us.

"Well, we follow it, of course!" Bofur said. The company started to take the rains of the ponies and follow Vera and Dwalin. Balin took the rains from me and I nodded my thanks to him. He smiled me and nodded. He started to follow the others, while I still stayed there, not moving anywhere. I noted that I was shaking, so I hugged my torso. This had been a close call, yet the miracle had happened. Kili and Thorin appeared next to me, Kili standing my left side and Thorin at my right side. Kili started to caress my back and Thorin put his hand on my shoulder.

"Come on, lass. We can't stay here" Thorin said. I nodded to him and started to follow the rest of the company. Kili had still his hand behind my back. Gandalf was the last one who followed the company, making sure that no one had stayed behind. How come that Mily and Vera were alright, but I was still freaking out?

* * *

 

The air around us had changed. It felt easier to breathe, easier to move and I almost like I was a feather. I would have been jumping to the air and probably fly away if Kili wouldn't be still holding me. My steps were now more certain and I wasn't shaking anymore.

After walking some time the cave ended, and we stepped on a cliff, only to see a beautiful sight. The evening sun was coloring a high rock's, that were covered with trees and plants, with warm colors. And the city seemed to belong there, like the nature had taken it as one of it's owns. The sight was utterly beautiful and was like painting. Fuck the Mona Lisa, this was what I'd call art.

"It's so beautiful here!" Mily sighed. Few dwarves let out a snarl and Mily cave them a hard look.

"The valley of Imlardis. In common language it is known by other name" Gandalf said, as he stepped behind everyone. I turned to see him and my eye's shone. We were really here! We were really fucking here! In Rivendell!

"Rivendell" Bilbo, Vera and Mily said union. Gandalf smiled and then he turned to look at me and Kili. I turned to look at Kili, who had a stern look on his face. Well, now when I was looking at the other dwarves, some of them had too a stern face. Right, they didn't like elves. Thanks, Thranduil. I heard, how Thorin moved to Gandalf and started to blame him from bringing us here. He would not seek the safety from his so called enemy's. And when Gandalf was telling him, that the only ill-will here would be what Thorin brought there himself, I felt how Kili's had was tensing around my back.

"Kee, calm down" I whispered to him. He relaxed a little and muttered his sorry's. After Gandalf had told Thorin, that he'd do the talking, we were moving again. Me and Kili caught up with Fili and were now walking beside him and his pony. We walked to the enclosed space and left the ponies there. Gandalf told us that this was one of the places, where the traveler's who arrived to Rivendell could leave their horses. Or ponies. Then we were off again, walking down the wooden stairs. Fili was walking in front of me and Kili behind me, Vera's voice called somewhere front of me and I could see Mily walking right behind Gandalf. She was eager to see Rivendell and had even been talking about it few times on the road. One evening Mily and Bilbo had been talking hours of Rivendell and elves.

After the stairs we arrived to bridge that lead us over the river and then we were on round space, one stair yet again rising in front of us. We came to an halt and were looking around us, some turning around and being openly curiously looking around us and some were just standing there and almost glaring around them. Fili and Kili had lead me near their uncle and Dwalin. Vera was halfly behind Dwalin and Mily was standing next to Gandalf. Mily looked like she had long forgotten the orcs and the wargs. She was almost beaming. Well, we were safe now and literally everyone knew that we didn't need to worry about the orc back for now.

Besides the two guard's on the stairs, there had been no sight of elves in the entrance, well until three elves walked elegantly down from the stairs.

"Mithrandir!" one of the elves called out. Gandalf and Mily turned around, and instantly Mily seemed to tense. I frowned and looked up the elves. I recognized one of them, the one walking few steps ahead. He was the one from the movies, this Lindir or whatever his name was. But I didn't know the two others. They had similar looks, long, brown hair and same facial type.

"Aah, Lindir!" Gandalf called out. So I remembered his name right, I mused, and turned in time to look at Thorin, who whispered to Dwalin.

"We use the toilet and them we leave" I hear him whisper. I rolled my eyes and turned to look back to Gandalf and the elves. One of the elves was looking at Mily with pure curiousity. And Mily seemed to be a little bemused. She had her hands in her sweat pants pockets and she was kicking the imaginary rocks in her feet. No one of the company paid any attention to her, so I wasn't sure what had gotten to her. Maybe her brains were just lagging. I heard Gandalf and Lindir talk elvish and I had no idea, what they were saying. Then I recognized a word Elrond.

"My lord Elrond is not here" the other elf, who had not stared at Mily, said in common language.

"Not here? Where is he?" Gandalf asked. Mily sifted her foot and looked up to Gandalf. She knew where he was, like I and Vera did. On his way, and soon we'd be surrounded by elves on their horses. Then familiar voice of horn echoed in the air. Everyone turned around to see elves riding on horses, coming towards us. And yes, when they arrived to the plaza, the dwarves went on circle, pushing me, Vera and Bilbo between them. Mily was out of their reach, standing so close to Gandalf and the elves that no one didn't even try to reach for her. The elves circled us some time, before they finally stopped, staying were they had stopped.

"Gandalf!" one of the elves called out. 

"Lord Elrond!" Gandalf said and went to greet him. I peeked over the dwarves shoulders to see better. This was eating my ego again, peek over their shoulders to see the elves. The dwarves should be half of my size, God dammit! I heard Gandalf and lord Elrond speak elvish, and I could only guess what they were talking about. Elrond came down from his horse and walked over Gandalf and gave him a hug.

"Awe, they hugged" I whispered to Vera, who smiled in respond. Elrond was speaking in common language now, wondering who or what had brought the orcs so near Rivendell's boarders. He was standing now near Mily and the three elves, giving the sword to Lindir. The two other elves had weirdly same looks as Elrond had, which put my brains to work. I remembered that in one fanfic I had once read that Elrond had two sons besides Arwen. But I wasn't sure, if he actually had other children that Arwen. I didn't remember that in the movies they'd mention anyone else but her. I should probably ask this about Mily and Vera, if they'd remember anything about them.

"Ah that may have been us" Gandalf said and turned to look at the company. He didn't sound apologetic at all. Which lead me to think that this wasn't probably the first time that he let the orcs so near Rivendell.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain" Elrond greeted Thorin, who had approached him. Thorin looked up, his face set up with emotionless mask.

"I don't believe we have met" Thorin said. I frowned and looked at Thorin's back. So, he hated the elves of Rivendell even he hadn't met them before? Alright then...

"You have your grandfather's bearings. I knew Thror, when he ruled under the Mountain" Elrond said. Thorin seemed like he was ready to walk out of here, even when he knew that they needed Elrond's help.

"Indeed? He never mentioned of you" Thorin answered. Elrond looked a little amused, when the silence fell in the group. And as my stomach let out a growl, he said something in elvish. Someone elbowed me and I turned to see Fili looking at me.

"What? I'm hungry" I murmured to him. Fili rolled his eyes and turned then to look at Gloin, who was questioning what Elrond had said. Gandalf was calming the company down, telling them that Elrond had offered them food. The dwarves turned to talk quietly to each others, wondering if they should stay. I was looking around, until I met the eyes of Elrond. He was frowning and looking straight at me. He didn't say anything, but I got the feeling that there was much he wanted to say. To me. In person. Gandalf noted this too.

"Ah, this is Eleanor. She and her two friends, Vera and Miliyana, are travelling with us" Gandalf said. Elrond turned to look at Vera, then Mily and then Gandalf.

"Indeed? Maybe the ladies would prefer a bath and new dresses before the dinner?" Elrond questioned and turned then to me. I shrugged my shoulders. I could push my bath a bit, I just wanted to eat.

"Yes, please" I heard Mily say. Vera nodded and I rolled my eyes. They and their womanly needs. I didn't want to smell bad either, but right now I just wanted to fill my stomach. With salad, I realized. The dwarves seemed happy enough to have dinner, so it was decided that we girls would have our bath and the dwarves would already start with their dinner. The dwarves didn't like that we'd go different paths, but when Vera pointed out that she didn't want to smell like a caveman, non of them tried to object it anymore. 

* * *

 

Me and girls were lead to our chambers by these two same looking elves, who had volunteered to take us to the best champers in Rivendell. They introduce themselves as Elladan andElrohir, the twin sons of lord Elrond. I uplifted my eyebrows. I had guessed it right! They had asked us what we wanted to wear after our bath, so they could sent a maid to get us the clothes. Mily wished to wear a dress, Vera said that she's fine with anything as long as they were clean and I wished for tunic that would cover my arms and trousers. Elrohir had disappeared for a second and soon he returned, telling us that we would receive our clothe's while we would be bathing. And we would get clean underclothing too.

"It's nice to have a bath. I don't like to smell like.. Well, sweaty and shit" Mily said, smiling a bit and shaking her head. Both Elladan and Elrohir gave sympathetic smiles to Mily, only Elladan seemed to have a bigger one. They reminded me a bit of Fili and Kili. They had been so carefree right after we had left to find us the champers, talking and joking and laughing. Like the Durin brothers who's with I spent the most of my days.

"We'll, ladies, here we are. You're chambers. There is everything you need, your clothe's will be brought later on. You can leave your current clothe's there, we'll wash them and mend them for you" Elladan said. We thank them and then we disappeared to our champers. We had our own, which seemed kind of an luxury to have after we had shared our company almost 24/7.

After closing the door I sighed and rubbed my face. I felt exhaustion take over me, yet I had to stay awake. My chamber was big enough for five person to sleep there and still have own space. The stone walls were light colors, the floor looked like it was made of marble. The bed was on my right side and was big enough to fit me, Vera and Mily well there. In font of the window was a writing desk and a chair. I lowered my bag back down next to the bed and walked to the other door in my chambers. One big door on other side of the room took me to my personal bathroom. The walls and the floor were white, and one big bathtub lay in middle of the room. It had been filled with warm water already. On the wooden chair was a lonely, soft looking towel.

"Damn the elves are fast. Or then somebody else was going to get a bath here before me... Oh well" I murmured and started to strip myself. I opened bathrooms door and when I saw that my chambers was empty, I tiptoed there and laid my dirty cloths on the bed. The elf maiden could take them with her, when she'd drop by and brought my new clothes. Then I tiptoed back to bathroom and almost dived in the warm water. After washing myself in cold rivers and puddles it felt like a dream to be in warm water. After I soaked in the water who knows how long, I finally started to check the washing oils and felt like a princess. The smells were so good and there were so many of them that I spent a whole ten minutes to wonder, which smell I should use. I mean, it wasn't like anybody was going to smell me or anything.

After the bath I dried myself, folded the towel around myself and went back to my chambers. The elf maiden was there, waiting for me. When she saw me, her face fell. I smiled her a little sadly, but didn't say anything.

"I... I brought you your clothes, miss Eleanor. And I will take your clothes to be washed after you have changed" she said, trying to put back her poker face back. I nodded and thanked her. She cave me privacy when I started to change by turning around. The elf maiden had brought me green tunic, black trousers, underwear's and new pairs of shoes. And after I had changed, she offered to brush my hair and braid them. I smiled to her and agreed. She made me elegant fishtail braid. After she had finished, I was ready to go. I thanked her and she smiled to me.

And then this elf maiden took me to eat. Finally!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the pairings is incoming in a few chapters, thought they don't start to date quit yet. ;)


	13. The last ember

The food was served in sort of an terrace. Mily and Vera weren't there, so I guessed that they were still enjoining their time in bath or just taking more time to get ready. This was probably the only luxury we would get in next months. Beorn's house would give us shelter, if we would ever get there, but baths and dresses and good smelling oils would be a big no there. And I wouldn't even consider any luxury for Mirkwood or Erebor. I was sure that dungeon was far from luxury and the Mirkwood elves were far from kind and nice guys. And I wasn't sure of Erebor's state and the stuff that was in there, so... Time would only show, if we would ever even get there.

The dwarves were in the dining area already, eating what they wanted and what they dared. Yes, there was salad, wine and water. Nothing else. The elf maiden took me to my seat next to Kili and soon I got my own plate of salad and glass of wine in front of me. I smiled and thanked the elf, who served the plate to me and he smiled back to me. Kili was looking at me, as were other dwarves. It had suddenly come very quiet in the dining area.

"What?" I asked, when I noted that everyone were still staring at me. A smile grew on few dwarves face and they all exchange looks.

"You look pretty" Fili said, light smile on his lips. I looked down of myself. I looked like myself, not really seeing how my almost travelling like clothes made me look pretty. If I'd have a dress, then I would understand, but now I just felt like any simple woman, who wears their comfortable clothe's and didn't try to get all the men in the world. 

"It's true, lass. You look like any young dwarrowdam, just without a bear. The beautiful dresses don't always make someone look pretty. For I believe, that anyone can look and  _be_ beautiful the way they are, no matter of their race, skin color and age" Bilbo said, with a small smile. So Bilbo saw me too as a dwarf, not of race of men? A blush grew on my face and I pursued my lips for not saying anything stupid.

"That was really nice from you, Bilbo" Mily's voice carried from the entrance of terrace. I turned to see Mily in beautiful darkish red dress, the sleeves stopping few centimeters under her shoulders and the hem dragging behind her. Mily's dark hair was open and silky looking. She looked and even carried herself like she was an elf instead of an human. Behind her was Vera, in dark green dress. It's hem reached over her foots and dragged a little on the ground, the sleeves came to her elbows and had wide cut from right below the shoulder to right above her elbow. Her hair had been braided with two braids, each one leaving on top of her head and stopping for her neck and the rest of both braids were on ponytail.

Behind them stood the princes' of Rivendell, Elladan and Elrohir, and one elf maiden who leaded Mily and Vera to their seats. Vera was sitting opposite side of me, while Mily sat at the end of the table, next to me. Elladan and Elrohir walked to bigger table, where lord Elrond, Thorin and Gandalf were sitting and joined them. Elrohir told them that we had received our chambers and they (he and Elladan) had taken care that me and girls had everything we needed. Lord Elrond nodded his approval and then he turned to Gandalf, who continued to tell what ever he had been telling to lord Elrond before twins had sat on the table. The newcomers were served too their salads and wines. While Mily seemed happy to have a vegetarian food, Vera looked at her food with complete disgust.

"Where's the meet?" she whispered and looked straight to me. I uplifted my shoulders and then I started to eat. I was happy to have even something to eat, even if it was just salad. And I was sure my mother would be more than happy to see me eat some healthy food.

"Oh, please, Vera. You should be happy to have even something to eat" Mily said and looked at Vera with culpable look. Vera rolled her eyes and threw piece of tomato in her mouth. I was munching my own salad, looking around myself. Some of the dwarves had been looking at Vera and Mily with admiring look on their face, while some looked like they had eaten a lemon or two. Like Nori and Dwalin for example. Nori was glaring at us girls, while Dwalin was glaring at his salad, the elves and Kili, who was trying to flirt with one elf lady, who was playing a harp. I estimated that Nori's disgust was focused on myself and the girls, and maybe a little to the elves, and Dwalin's disgust was focusing almost everything around him: the food, the elves, his companion and the music. It was clear to me that Nori didn't like us - me, Vera, Mily and Bilbo - as didn't almost anybody else in the Company. Kili and Fili were the only ones that liked me, and showed some trust to Vera, Mily and Bilbo. Ori had warmed to us a little, thought his brothers were stopping him from talking to us. Bofur was kind enough towards us, yet I wasn't sure if he trusted us or liked us. Bombur and Bifur were suspicious, yet at times they were kind towards us, if needed to. Thorin was on his own scale to show what ever he liked someone or not. At some days he was barking to everyone and some days he was a little nicer to Dwalin, Balin and his nephews. And in some point he had started to be sort of nice towards me, but I assumed that it was because I spent so much time with Fili and Kili. Because, Thorin was still cold towards Vera, Mily and Bilbo.

"Can't say I fancy the elf maidens myself" I suddenly heard Kili say next to me. I turned to look at him, seeing him to try to look serious and how he didn't like elves either. I rolled my eyes, remembering how he just a minute ago was flirting with one of the maiden's.

"Too thin, high cheekbones and creamy skin. That's not a face for me. Although, that one there's not bad" Kili said and then he turned to look at another elf, who was behind us. I turned to look at the elf too, only to note that it was indeed male elf.

"That's not an elf maiden" Dwalin whispered and winked to Kili, who looked horrified. For a second I felt bad for him, even a little more when everyone started to laugh. Then I leaned my head on his shoulder and patted his arm.

"Oh c'mon now, guys. It's OK to like guys too. And it's nice to have someone, who's with I can compare them" I said jokingly and then I winked to Kili, who was staring at me with horrid eyes. The dwarves were laughing even harder, Fili probably being the most loudest. Vera was laughing too, Bilbo was smiling a little and letting out a little laugh and Mily was just shaking her head. After this we were talking and eating for some time. Only that when Nori finally grew tired of the music and almost begged the elves to change the tune. Then Bofur grinned and stated that he had a plan for it. Every elf that played some instrument had stopped and were now looking at Bofur, who had climbed on top of a small, round table (or what ever it was used for) and then he started to sing. And only when Bofur was singing, almost all the dwarves singing along with him, I noted Thorin standing other side of the terrace, holding a wine glass. He was bouncing his leg, and seemed like he was tapping along with the music. Then our eyes met. We both smiled and I felt like there was some connection between us. That felt weird. He was never this open, and we were surrounded by elves, his so called enemies. After some time we broke our eye contact and turned to look at Bofur, who was just finishing his song. The dwarves were throwing food, like they had been doing in Bag end. Elves didn't like it, and some even let it show in their face. Mily, too, looked like she didn't approve their actions. After the song ended, I started to clap my hands. That caused everyone to look at me.

"That was really good and going song, Bofur" I said and smiled to him, feeling embarrassed. It just felt right to clap, and hey, that's what we always do after a good show! Bofur's grin widened and he bowed to me.

"If lady knows a song or two, she's welcome to the stage" Bofur said and winked to me. For a second I felt taken aback. I haven't expected someone to ask me to sing, not in any point of our travels. I turned to look at Mily, who just uplifted her eyebrows, and then to Vera, who rolled her eyes. I knew that Mily had a amazing singing voice and she could sing for hours without anyone getting bored. The problem wasn't that I couldn't sing, I had been singing with my family and relative's when I had been younger. It just that... It had been years and much had changed after that. When everyone's eyes were on me, I sighed and got up. I walked to the round table and got up with Bofur's help. I already had a song in my mind. One of the songs I had been singing with my family.

"Well, I guess a song or two wouldn't do any harm to anyone" I said, rubbing the back of my head. My left arm was around Bofur's shoulders, while he kept his arm around my waist. Mily had turned to look at me, curious look over her features. Vera had a little smile on her lips, as had half of the dwarves, Bilbo, Gandalf, twins and Elrond. Even Thorin was smiling. I had everyone's attention on me, which seemed a little weird. I turned to look at Bofur, who motioned me to start. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I had to get to the feeling before I could start. Then the words left from my lips.

"Gather round ye lads and lasses, set ye for awhile. And hearken to me mournful tale about the Emerald Isle. Let's all raise our glasses high to friends and family gone and lift our voices in another Irish drinking song" my voice called clear in the silent hall, as everyone were listening to me. I opened my eyes to see their attentive, curious and waiting faces. Non of them were glaring at me, not even Nori.

"Consumption took me mother and me father got the pox. Me brother drank the whiskey till he wound up in a box. Me other brother in The Troubles met with his demise. Me sister has forever closed her smiling Irish eyes. Now everybody's died, so, until our tears have dried, we'll drink and drink and drink and drink and then we'll drink some more. We'll dance and sing and fight until the early morning light, then we'll throw up, pass out, wake up, and then go drinking once again" I started to get in the song and feel the lightness take me. Some dwarves were already tapping their hands, fingers, legs or heads with the rythm of the songs and seemed to enjoy themselves, along with Vera and Mily. Gandalf was having his own little dance on his seat, while lord Elrond was just smiling and tapping his finger. The other elves were now too relaxed and were almost taping their foot along the song.

"Ken was killed in Kilkenny and Clare she died in Claire. Tip from Tipperary died out in the Derry air. Shannon jumped into the river Shannon back in June. Ernie fell into the Erne and Tom is in the Toome. Cleanliness is godliness me uncle Pat would sing. He broke his neck a slipping on a bar of Irish Spring. O'Grady he was eighty though his bride was just a pup. He died upon the honeymoon when she got his Irish up. Now everybody's died, so, until our tears have dried, we'll drink and drink and drink and drink and then we'll drink some more. We'll dance and sing and fight until the early morning light, then we'll throw up, pass out, wake up, and then go drinking once again" I was singing, smile on my lips. I hadn't remembered that it was this fun, just sing and feel merry. Bofur was humming next to me, probably trying to memorize the lyrics.

"Joe Murphy fought with Riley near the cliffs of Old Dooneen. He took out his shillelagh and he stabbed him in the spleen. My crazy uncle Mike thought he was a leprechaun, but in fact he's just a leper and his arms and legs are gone. When Timmy Johnson broke his neck it was a crying shame. He wasn't really Irish but he went to Notre Dame. McNamara crossed the street and by a bus was hit, but he was just a Scotsman so nobody give a sh..." I cleared my throat and then continued my singing. 

"Now everybody's died, so, until our tears have dried, we'll drink and drink and drink and drink and then we'll drink some more. We'll dance and sing and fight until the early morning light, then we'll throw up, pass out, wake up, and then go drinking once again. Me drunken Uncle Brendan tried to drive home from the bar. The road rose up to meet him when he fell out of his car. Irony was what befell me great grand-uncle Sam; He choked upon the very last potato in the land.  Conner lived in Ulster town, he used to smuggle arms, until the British killed him and cut off his lucky charms. And dear old father Flanagan who left the Lord's employ, drunk on sacramental wine beneath the alter boy. Now everybody's died, so, until our tears have dried, we'll drink and drink and drink and drink and then we'll drink some more. We'll dance and sing and fight until the early morning light,  then we'll throw up, pass out, wake up, and then go drinking once again" I was singing, feeling light and happy. Like the old times, when I was singing with my family and relatives.

"Someday soon I'll leave this world of pain and toil and sin. The Lord will take me by the hand to join all of me kin. Me only wish is when the savior comes for me and you" I lowered my case to Vera, who puffed and tried to look like I just hurt her feelings. For a few seconds there was quiet in the teracce, untill I finally continued.  
"He kills the cast of river dance and Michael Flately too. Now everybody's died, so, until our tears have dried, we'll drink and drink and drink and drink and then we'll drink some more. We'll dance and sing and fight until the early morning light. Then we'll throw up, pass out, wake up, and then go drinking once again. Then we'll throw up, pass out, wake up, and then go drinking once again. Then we'll throw up, pass out, wake up, and then go driiinkiiing, ooonce aaaagaaaiiin" I finished my song, little breathless and smiling. "Hoyee"  and "Aye" rang on the terrace, while the dwarves were still feeling the song. I had a big grin on my face and I bowed them.

"Care to teach us that song? It's quit a merry song, thought it tells about everyone dying" Bofur asked, looking at me. I turned to look at Bofur. He actually wanted to learn the lyrics of it? Well, it would be a good opportunity to get to know him.

"Sure. It's actually meant to be singed by more than one person, but since I was the only one who knew it, well... I hope we can all once sing it together" I said, smiling to him. Almost every dwarf shouted that they wanted to learn the song. Vera's voice carried over the dwarves, and I could hear her want to learn the song too. So, I ended up singing the song few more times, and at some point the dwarves were singing along with me. The terrace was blaring from our singing voice. It was almost a wonder that the orcs couldn't hear our singing and rush over to kill us.

* * *

The dinner was over and the dwarves had disappeared somewhere to find themselves a sleeping place. They had refused from the chambers, and meant to sleep under the sky. Finally they had find one terrace, where they had settled their stuff. And right now, Fili and Kili were dragging me and my back to their sleeping place. They didn't want me to sleep alone somewhere where they couldn't see me and protect me, even they both knew we were in Rivendell and safe here. When we got to the terrace, all the dwarves turned to look at us with questioning looks.

"She's sleeping with us" Kili informed the others and set my bag next to his and his brothers bags. Balin was smiling and shaking his head, while Gloin and Oin exchanged looks, Ori turned to his brothers and wondered, why Mily and Vera didn't come too, Dori answered something to Ori, while Nori rolled his eyes, Dwalin puffed and turned to look at Thorin, who was still staring at us and Bofur, Bifur and Bombur smiled and turned to continue look something from their bags. 

"I thought the elves had already given a chambers to lass" Thorin said, still looking at his nephews and me. Fili turned to look at his uncle and smiled to him.

"Oh, aye, they did. But we're supposed to look after Ellie, and we can't quite do it, if she's sleeping in another room than we" he explained and then turned to look at me. Well, I guess I don't need my privacy. I think I'll get it when we get to Erebor, or if I'll die on the way there.

"And what about Vera and Miliyana?" Balin asked, looking at the brothers. He had a towel and soap on his hands. Like almost everyone else had, too. Oh, so they were going to have their bath now? Where ever they were going to bath...

"Oh, they'll be OK, they're under Gandalf's protection. He'll look after them" Kili said and waved to Balin. I rolled my eyes. Yeah, sure, they'll be OK. Gandalf had already left once, and he'd be living us again, coming back to us when we'd be in Erebor.

"I wouldn't trust those lasses to Gandalf's protection, even if I'd have to watch them myself. The bloody wizard left us already once and abandoned them" Dwalin muttered. Well, he said it. Fili, Kili and I turned to look at him. A little, playful smile grew on my face.

"Then I guess you can as well as take them under your protection" Bofur said, looking at the bald dwarf with a little smile. Balin sighed and muttered something. Dwalin turned to look at his brother, glaring at him, while Bofur had a big grin on his face. 

"I'm sure Miliyana would rather stay under Gandalf's protection" Oin pointed out. I was nodding, trying to look serious.

"I think so, too. But I'm sure that Vera would take someone to protect her, someone who doesn't leave every other day. So, ye can take her under yer protection, Dwalin. Take good care of 'er for me, OK?" I said and smiled sweetly to him. Dwalin was glaring a hole to me, while his cheeks behind his beard grew redder than tomato. Some of the company were laughing and looking at him with glimmer in their eyes.

"Shut up, all of ye" Dwalin grumbled and left to the bath, Balin following him shortly. He gave me one last look and winked to me. My smile grew from ear to ear, and I winked him back. Then the rest of the company followed the brothers, leaving Fili and Kili behind. They were taking their towels and soaps from their bags and then they were off to bathe too, while I went to look for Vera and Mily. And to find some elf to tell that I would be sleeping with the dwarves.

* * *

 I was sitting on the floor of terrace, listening the laughs of the dwarves that carried over the fountain where they were bathing. Vera was sitting behind me on bench and Mily was sitting opposite of us on other bench, Elladan sitting next to her and Elrohir was walking aimlessly on the terrace. Mily and Vera had their phones on their hand. They both had been taking picture and recording videos of Rivendell, until Elladan and Elrohir had found them here on the terrace. They had seen the phones and questioned that what they were, how and where they were used, and were they made by dwarves. So, the girls had ended up telling them what they were and they were normal back where we were from. And when Elrohir had pointed out that nowhere in Middle Earth something like these weren't normal thing to use to communicate with others, even when dwarfs were inventing all and everything to help their lives, Vera had said that we came from complete different world. And right after this I had found them. Elrohir and Elladan looked like someone had just knocked them with big hammer behind backs of their heads. They found it hard to believe that we came from another world, but after Mily was showing pictures of our world to them, they started to warm up to the idea. And now we were just sitting here, quietly and listening to the dwarves.

"Do they know? Your companion?" Elladan suddenly asked. Mily turned to look at us. No, we hadn't told them yet.Then Mily turned to look at Elladan.

"No, they don't know. Only the Hobbit and Gandalf knows and I believe neither both of them hadn't opened their mouth abut it" Mily answered. Elladan only nodded and turned then to look at his hands. Elrohir walked next to his brother and was looking at Mily.

"Maybe it is for the best that they don't know. But, I recon that you tell to our father. He might be able to help you to get back home" Elrohir said. I turned to look at him and felt kind of sad. Someday we should get back to our world, and maybe the bigger power that had got us here would sent us back, after what ever job we had here was done. But I didn't want to go, I enjoyed my time here.

"I like them, the dwarves. And I'd like to stay with them until my dying days, if they just let me" I blurted out. Vera let out a little sneer. Mily was looking at me with frown on her face. Yes, I had grown pretty fond of these dwarves in short time, even they didn't like me or trust me.

"They are pretty merry guys, alright. Sometimes. It'd be shame to leave them" Vera admired after a few quiet seconds. I peered her over my shoulder and started to smile when I saw her look over the railing. I snatched her phone from her hands, almost jumped up and ran to the railing.

"OI, Ellie! Give it back!" Vera yelled. I opened the camera and snatched a picture of the dwarves. All had their back to me, but some where just turning their heads towards us. I turned my back towards them, walked back to Vera and handed her phone back to her. Vera was glaring a hole to me - great, another hole in one day - and then looked down to her phone, where was a photo of naked, thirteen dwarves. Then she sneered.

"What? I was going to zoom to Dwalin, but you had to open your big mouth" I said and sat down next to her. Then I looked the picture, again, and grinned.

"Shame that I didn't zoom for him, it would have been an excellent photo" I mused and let out a laugh when Vera hit my shoulder. Mily, Elladan and Elrohir were staring at us, not believing what they were seeing. Then Elrohir turned to look the railing, when the shouts of the dwarves got even louder. Mily was looking between me and Vera. She knew that she had missed out something important, but didn't quit understand that what it was.

"Guys, what are you talking about?" she finally asked. I turned to look at her, grin on my face.

"Everyone else has their back towards us in the picture, well everyone else expect Dwalin. If I had zoomed to him, Vera would clearly see his mayo shooting hotdog gun" I told her. Mily lifted her other eyebrow and then turned to look at Vera, who was looking everywhere else but to us four.

"OK, and why would she like to see Dwalin's manhood?" Mily asked, still eyeing Vera. I grinned and glanced over Vera, who was muttering curses under her breath. Then I turned to look at Mily, who really looked curious to hear it. Like did Elladan and Elrohir.

"What, haven't you noticed how she sometimes looks at Dwalin?  _And_ I remember how Vera was said that she l...." I was telling to Mily, and well, Elladan and Elrohir too, when a shout interrupted me.

"OI, the fuck are ye kiddos doin' up there?!" I heard Dwalin shout. Vera's face was red as tomato, when she turned to look the railing.

"Good thing the terrace is higher from the ground. I don't think I want to see a naked dwarf" Elladan said and then shook his head. Vera turned to look at him, her face reddening even more.

"Well lucky you" she murmured and then let out a shout, when I snatched her phone yet again. I walked over to the railing, looking down and seeing naked Dwalin and Thorin peering up at me. I waved to them and then snatched a photo of them. Dwalin grossed his arms and was eyeing me and the thing on my hand.

"I'm just taking souvenirs to Vera. OH, and she actually wants you to be her protector, instead of Gandalf. She's more than happy to have you" I said. I heard how Mily started to laugh and Vera let out a loud scream. No, I hadn't asked her or told her anything about our talk with Dwalin earlier, and yes, I was deciding it for her. Thorin turned to look at Dwalin, who's mouth was open and his hands had been dropped back to his side. Then Thorin just patted his shoulder, muttered something to him and returned to fountain.

"WHAT?" Dwalin shouted after him, looking at him with horrid eyes. I grinned and turned to look at Vera, who's mouth was open and she was pointing at me.

"No you fucking didn't! We didn't have any talk about this and... and.... you just can't decide it!" she finally hissed. I laughed and went to her, hearing how Dwalin was now shouting something to Thorin, and maybe to others. I didn't understand a word he said, since he was shouting in khuzdhul. I sat back down and gave her phone back to her. Vera was looking down and let out a frustrated shout. Mily started to laugh even more, and Elladan and Elrohir were chuckling too.

"Oh, come on now, Vera, I was just doing a favor for you. Now you can spent more time with Dwalin and get to know him, like you wanted" I said and patted her shoulder. Vera scowled at me and showed me her beautiful middle finger.

"Fucker" she hissed.

* * *

 

The day had turned to a late evening and the evening had turned to a night. Sun had set down long ago, and the moon and stars were glimmering in the sky. Me, Vera, Mily and Elladan had been walking around the Rivendell, Elladan showing us the places and telling us stories about his and Elrohir's childhood. Elrohir had had something important he needed to do, so he had left us almost right away after we had left from the terrace. At times I had separate from the other three and wander around until I was reunited with others. I even had an interesting talk with someone on terrace, while two asshole were talking bad about him. Elladan was taking us to the dwarves to drop me there, and then he was supposed to take the girls back to their chambers. Vera said she was going to sleep in there, since she had a change to sleep in bed.

When we were getting nearer to the companion, we could hear shouts, like they were fighting about something - and then they fell silence. I frowned, wondering what they were fighting about now. It couldn't be about what had happened at fountain. If the dwarves had anything to fight about it, they would have been fight about it hours ago. We came to the stairs, that lead us up to the dwarves so called camp. I was walking first instead of Elladan. The dwarves would probably chop his head of, if he'd appeared there first. Right behind me came Vera, even thought she didn't want to be anywhere near the dwarves. Behind Vera came Mily and Elladan, side by side. When we got up and I saw the dwarves, almost everyone sitting or standing near each other. Only Bombur was sitting on what appeared be a broken table, Bifur standing next to him, Fili standing far from the others, glaring at them with all he had. The campfire they had lit up from the wooden furniture's was lighting the area. Nori was sitting middle of the group, everyone peeling over his shoulder. They were looking at something paper like thing Nori was holding. A little glance over the terrace told me that everyone else were there but Thorin and Balin, who were probably talking about something with each other.I knew they weren't showing the map to lord Elrond, they had done that right after the bath and it hadn't taken this much of time. Then my eyes landed on Bilbo, who was standing behind Fili, glaring too the dwarves. His hands were folded and he really looked like might murder someone.

"That lil' lass looks Ellie, doesn't she?" Bofur asked and pointed at something on the paper. Vera, Mily, and Elladan had stopped behind me and were staring at the group, their mouths open. I turned my head a little, my heard beating in my throat. I noticed my back open and halfly empty, right there where I had left it.

"The FUCK are you idiot's doing?!" Vera suddenly barked. Nori, and literally everyone, frightened and Nori even let go of the little paper. The hassle by the dwarves caused the paper to fly right to the camp fire. Right when it hit the flames, I was assured what it was. Old photograph of me and my family I had been carrying in my back. The photograph landed in the fire and catch fire in seconds. I was watching, how the frozen face's of my family member's were swallowed by fire and soon the photograph was gone. The terrace was quiet as everyone stared the campfire or me, all of them being horrified. The silence was finally broken by Nori.

"Lass, I'm so sor..." he stopped when I looked up to him, my eyes shining from the tears. I had no words. The anger and sadness took over me. I turned and ran off the terrace, almost crashing to Thorin. He caught me up, and looked me. He was about to say something, but snapped quiet and his face fell and eyes turned sad, when he saw a single tear dropping from my eyes. When I head my name being called by Fili and Kili, I broke loose from Thorin's grip and ran. Thorin and Balin shared shocked glanced and then they turned to see Fili and Kili running down the stairs, Kili coming first and Fili right after him. Fili stopped for a second to look at his uncle and then to Balin.

"You should talk to them" Fili said, pointing behind him with his head, and then he ran after his brother and Ellie. Thorin look after his nephew, worry growing in his chest. What had happened? Balin nudged his shoulder and then they were walking up. Thorin noted that other of the twin prince's was standing near the stairs, his hands behind his back and his face set in emotionless mask and Bilbo was next to him, his hands folded and his face covered in pure anger. Mily had knelt down next to Ellie's back and was putting stuff back in there while Vera was tapping her leg against the floor, glaring at the dwarves who were staring down. Dwalin had a hand over his nose and blood was stripping from between his fingers. Thorin and Balin were staring at sight, Balin's mouth open.

"What the hell happened here?" Thorin asked as he approach Vera and his company, Balin tailing him. Vera turned to look at him, her face covered in pure disgust and anger.

"Maybe you should ask that from your so _loyal_   and _trustworthy_ company" Vera split the words out and turned then to look at the dwarves. Dwalin lifted his eyes to Thorin and looked ashamed. Thorin lifted his eyebrows, waiting for someone to open their mouth.

"We just wanted to make sure the lass didn't have more of those dangerous item's, like that one she had earlier. Dwalin was rummaging her bag and then he found that painting. Then they scared us and it slipped from my grip to the fire and it burned" Nori explained, looking up to Thorin, shame in his eyes. Thorin sighed and looked over to Mily, who was now standing and holding Ellie's back on her shoulder.

"Like I already fucking told you, the item she was holding - the phone - is not dangerous. We use it for communication and taking pictures, kind of paintings" Vera said, her voice like venom. Balin had walked to his brother and had given him handkerchief. Oin had disappeared to get a bowl full of water to Dwalin. Everyone else were looking at Vera silently.

"I... assume you lasses aren't around here at all?" Balin asked and was carefully looking between Vera and Mily. Mily, Elladan, Elrohir, who had quietly showed up there, and Bilbo turned to look at Vera, who folded her arms and shook her head.

"No, not actually. We come from place called Earth. Not a nice place, really" Vera said. Some of the company frowned and looked at each other. This didn't match for the story they had heard earlier on their travels. Then they all turned to look at Vera.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier? Why tell a cooked story, when you could have told the truth from beginning?" Thorin asked. He wasn't angry for their lies, just disappointed. This could only mean that they didn't trust them, didn't want them to know things about their past.

"Because you're dwarves, that's why! You don't believe anything or anyone. It was a wonder for itself that Bilbo and Gandalf believed us. What would have happened if we told you guys?" Vera answered, almost shouting. Thorin turned his head lightly away from Vera. So, the halfling and Gandalf knew about it? Well, Thorin could understand the wizard, but why tell to halfling?

"You know you could have told us. We wouldn't judge you because of it!" Bofur said, not really understanding Vera's point. Vera sighed and turned to look at him.

"Yeah, and tell you how? Hey, I just met you and this is crazy, but we're not around here, we come from planet Earth" Vera singed the last part. Mily rolled her eyes and walked next to Vera, understanding that things needed some clarification.

"You see, our world is complete different from yours. It is not over the seas, it's up there, where the stars are. A big rock, floating in space and circling the sun. We don't belong here and we don't know how we ended up here in Middle Earth in the first place. We were having sort of an camp, we three and few of our friends who are not here. After we had gone to sleep for a night, we woke up in the forest, complete different place where we had been, without our friends and I was already hurt. We were near Bree and tried to find shelter and a healer for me, and that's when we were attacked. That is when Gandalf found us and took us to Shire. I guess Gandalf put some sleeping spell on us and put us down where Bilbo found us, while he went to take care of our attackers. We told Bilbo about our situation, because we owned him our thanks - and explanation why he found us hurt and conscious" Mily explained. The dwarves were looking at each other. So, the attack part was true then. Elladan and Elrohir glanced at each other and Bilbo was looking at the girls, living the moment when he had found these girls in his head again. No one questioned their story, they just stared in front of them.

"I first wanted to travel with you here Rivendel, so we could get help from lord Elrond. But, Vera and Ellie weren't eager to get back to our world, so I wouldn't seek help from them neither" Mily said calmly. Thorin frowned and moved closer to Mily.

"Why? Don't you want to get back home?" he questioned. Mily uplifted her shoulders and turned then to look at Vera. Mily did want to get back home, but...

"Not actually. You see, there is war going on in our world and I don't really fancy of going back there. It feels safer to be here" Vera said. Thorin, and literally everyone else expect Mily, turned to look at her. A silence grew in the terrace as everyone took in the news they just heard. The three girls with them were from a world where a war was going on? And they neither stayed here, with mean dwarves, dragons and complete unknown world to them? They didn't even have a certain for their future here.

"There is more for us here than in our world" Vera continued. Everyone were taken aback by this. "The war has taken a future from us. And many other things too. Especially from Ellie" 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to sing the Irish drinking song while I wrote this, and I had a quit hard time to keep up with the song. :'D But anyway, thank you for reading, and thanks for all the kudos and comments! Love ya!
> 
> The songs Ellie is singings is:  
> Irish drinking song by Da Vinci's Notebook


	14. One of us

I was walking in the stairs, looking around myself. It was quiet, and dark. I hoped I would have taken my phone with me, so I too could take some pictures. Mily had wondered, why her phone had been recharged, since we didn't have any electricity here. The battery's had had about 50-60 present left, but now they were back to 100. Vera had noted the same thing with her phone. Then we had come to an conclusion that the magic around Rivendell had something to with it. Well, that was the only reasonable thing we could think of. I wanted to check my phone too, and make sure if Vera's and Mily's phone weren't just going crazy.

 _"Nice, we can keep our phones going on years"_ Vera had said, smiling, and snapped a photo of me, Mily, Elladan and Elrohir. We were standing, just about to leave from the terrace. I was staring somewhere, looking thoughtful, and Mily and Elladan were looking at each other, smiling, while Elrohir was looking straight to the camera.

I stepped on flat, seeing a person a little taller than me standing next to railing. I approached him carefully so I wouldn't startle him. When I got close enough, I heard two voice coming from the trail, further from the road. I stopped next the dwarf king, looking at Elrond and Gandalf. Gandalf was trying confide lord Elrond about our journey. Then the elf lord brought up Thorin's grandfathers madness, and how it would in time take over Thorin's mind. I gritted my teeth, knowing that Thorin would fall for dragon sickness when Erebor would be reclaimed, yet finding Elrond's words harsh and extravagant. He wouldn't know it yet and if he saw the future, he shouldn't trust his visions so much. Anything could happen. Our escape from the orcs and trolls today had proved it to me. And Thorin did recover from his madness, thought he died on same day. After some time I turned to look at Thorin, who look rather sad.

"Hey, Thorin, don't take it to your heart. Elrond might be  _wise_ and has seen many things in his life, but... He cannot be sure if you fall for this 'madness' like your grandpa did" I said to Thorin, who then turned to look at me. His eyes were still sad, yet he tried to look like Elrond's words didn't hurt him or mean anything to him.

"It's alright, Nora. One day I'll probably fall for it. So, it's alright" Thorin said and touched my arm. My eyes shone a little in light.  _Nora_? I frowned a little. "And when the madness takes over me, I'll be left alone with it. There is no cure for it and by time the bearer will be alone, surrounded only by gold and jewels" Thorin looked down, and seemed like he was ready to cry. It really ate him up, knowing he would get mad one day. And the stress of this quest and the fate of his people ate him too. My heart went to Thorin and I wanted to give him a hug.

"Thorin, I know ten most loyal dwarves, who'd run around the world and beyond for you. You are their king, friend and relative. And I know two idiots who love you like you're their father. I could search ends of the world and would not find more respect or love that is shown towards you. I'm sure you'll be great king. You are already showing it. You are not your grandfather, nor your father. You are Thorin. Remember it" I said, taking his hand on my own and squeezing it. His hand was bigger than mine. A lot bigger. He took a better hold of my hand and squeezed it. "And you know, no one has called me Nora for a long time. My mother used that name, when I got myself in trouble, as did my father. My uncle Tom used to call me Nora, but... I haven't seen him in ages"

"Ah.... I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from... And, thank you" Thorin said and lowered his head. I chuckled a little. Something tickled in my memories. Like something like this had happened before, Thorin calling me Nora. Even I knew he hadn't. Thorin lifted his head and looked at me with puzzled look.

"It's OK, you may get the special treating and call me Nora" I said, smiling to him. A light smile grew on his lips and turned the sadness in his eyes to joy.

"And Fili and Kili, do they get this the special treating too?" Thorin asked. I looked him for a second, trying to figure out that was he joking or was he serious about it. And when the sadness started to return in his eyes, another thought came to my mind. Was he jealous? For his nephews? Those two were special to me, like brothers, but Thorin... I had this weird liking for him. It wasn't love, but I had some attraction for him. It had came the day he arrived to Bag end, and settled there like a bird that made it's nest to the tree. And we weren't even together, dating, so why would he be jealous? And surely Thorin didn't like me  _that_ way.

"No, this one's just for you. I really prefer to be called Ellie, but it feels right when you call me Nora" I told him honestly. It felt weird to say that it felt right when Thorin called me Nora, but it was right it was my long forgotten name. I looked Thorin deep in his blue eyes and saw, how they started to smile too with his smiling lips. He nodded slowly and brushed my knuckles.

"That's good then, Nora" Thorin said and smiled. I smiled him back. It was nice to know that he didn't hate me deep down, like he seemed to hate Bilbo, Vera and Mily.

"Oh, and by the way. You should smile more. Smile looks better on you than a grumpy face" I told him and winked. Thorin let out a laugh -  _a laugh_ \- and looked me with a little smile.

"I'll keep that in mind" he promised. Then he left to find Balin, for he had something to disgust with him. Something important he had just remembered. I felt extremely happy after our little talk. I could cheer up Thorin, when he needed it most. And I felt like I had gotten a little closer to him. If he hated me in Bag end, there was none of that now. We were friends. And even I had to respect him as the leader of the company, I still wished that we could use some time just joking and talking shit, like I did with Fili and Kili. I was on my way to find Vera, Mily and Elladan, and then to see what Nori and the company had done.

And as the happiness comes, it has to leave too. The events around us forced it, it didn't give us any choice.

* * *

 "Ellie, wait up!" I could hear Kili shouting. I didn't feel like waiting. Tears were now flowing from my eyes and blurring my sight, causing me finally stumble something. I face planted on the paving and let out muffing _"Off"_. Soon I felt pair of hands on my back and side, helping me up on my knees. I turned to see Kili, who's eyes were filled with worry and regret. Then pair of two other hands settled on my shoulders. I turned to see Fili on my other side, looking sad. He looked quickly to his brother, anger settling to his face for a seconds. Then he turned to look at me, his face softening. 

"Ellie, what happened back up there was wrong, but please let us explain. That item you were holding back at fountain, well... We didn't know what it is. Gloin thought you had a weapon, and he got worried when uncle was there. And when we got back to our camp, Gloin had told this Dwalin, who then wanted to check your back to make sure you didn't have anything dangerous with you. I was against it, and tried to reason him that you wouldn't hurt uncle. But, he's stubborn as oaf and wouldn't listen us. So, when he check your back, he found the painting. Then he showed it to us and almost right after that you showed up" Fili explained. I was looking at him and then Kili. They thought I was going to kill Thorin? No, that's impossible. I wouldn't... I wouldn't ever hurt him. I lowered my head and sniffed. Did Thorin think that too? That I'd hurt him? And we just had a friendly moment not an hour ago. 

"Right...." I said and got up. My tears had dried while Fili had been telling me his reason, so I dried my cheeks and started then walk onward. I was still sad, but now I felt mostly empty.

"Ellie? Where are you going?" Kili asked and stood up, Fili standing up seconds later. They started to follow me again, still keeping safe distance to me.

"You got your change to explain, so go away!" I shouted. Two elves far away jumped, startled, and turned to look at me. But right now I didn't care much who all saw us. I felt empty and wanted to be alone. Which was hard, when two dwarves were still following me. So, I stopped and turned around and was about to shout to them, but stopped when I saw Fili's pleading eyes.

"We're not going away. I still have something to explain to you. And you  _will_ listen to me" Fili said and walked in front of me. I frowned and turned then to look at Kili, who was now looking at his brother. Then I turned to look at Fili and uplifted my eyebrow. I was rather going to listen to him, or they'd make me listen.

"It's about that one morning. It is the reason, why everyone are a little distance and not trusting towards you" Fili said. I cocked my head. I didn't understand what he meant, so I motioned him to talk.

"We all have been talking, trying to remember. But we had to do it where you couldn't hear us, because... it's clear that you don't remember any of it" Fili said. Kili looked sad. I looked between the brothers, wondering what on earth I had forgotten. Fili took my arm and started to lead me to quieter place, where we could talk. Kili was walking the other side of, at time to time looking at me. His eyes were sad. We finally stopped in what seemed to be like a patio. The pillars had vines growing around them and roses were in beautiful bloom. We sat down on the sofa, I sitting on the middle and Fili being on my left side and Kili on my right side.

"So... What have I forgotten that makes you whisper among yourselves and hate me so much?" I finally asked. Fili and Kili exchange looks before they both gripped my hands. I looked them both in surprise and wondered where the fire was. Or the murderer. Had I murdered someone, but didn't remember it?

"We don't hate you. The company might have some trust issues and they are being confused, but no one wants cut your head off" Kili said, stroking my hand. I was looking at him and groaned. And yet Gloin had thought that I'd kill Thorin? Yeah, sure they didn't hate me. I groaned again, and looked up to the starry sky.

"They may seem cold and rude at the times but the problem is that you don't seem to remember" Fili said, and was too caressing my knuckles. I turned to look at him.

"Then by all means, tell me what I have forgotten" I said feeling frustrated. It didn't help me that they just told me that I had forgotten something. Fili took a deep breath and then he srated to tell stories I had forgotten.

"Before I begin, I must ask you to let me tell this first without any interruption" Fili said and looked at me for a second. I nodded, thinking it might actually be better to let him tell first and then speak up my mind, if I had anything on my mind after it.

"Where should I start.... Well, I might as well as start with how you remember us meeting, back in the Bag end. Me and Kili arrived to Bag end, rang the door beel and a dwarf sized woman opens the door. Gandalf had told us about the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, and his three visitors, but he didn't tell much about you. So, we didn't think much about you three, we just thought you were Bilbo's old friends and would be on your way after we'd show up. But, instead there you were, a grown up woman who reminded us from a teenaged lass who we met about eight years ago in Blue mountains. Your name, your appearance, your voice and your face. And your eyes, dark green like a pine tree in summer. All were the same as that teenaged lass we knew once. When we first saw you, we wanted to ask if you really were that lass. But, we understood soon that you didn't recognise us. Or, as we later realized and as Gandalf told us, you didn't remember us. That morning, when I went to talk to Gandalf with uncle, I went to ask about you. He... Uncle had his own reasions, why he wanted to talk with Gandalf, and I'm not right person to tell you that. At least not for now. Thorin had recognised you too, as had Balin and Dwalin, and we all wanted to make sure, who you were. Uncle didn't want Balin inquire about it, he wanted to know and hear it directly from Gandalf. And that's when Gandalf told us that you were a human from far away land, who had hailed to our world from 'The Gate'. And that you were that same lass from eight years ago. Eight years ago The Gate opened and you came to this world. Gandalf had found you back then and took you with him to Blue mountains, where you stayed the rest of the summer. Then came the day, when you disappeared. I guess The Gate must have taken you back to your world back then" Fili told me and then he let out a little laugh. I was frowning, feeling astonished.

"Eight years ago...? When... when I was... But I don't... That's not how I.." I was loss with words. I couldn't get hold of my thoughts. This had been a bit of an surprise. From what I remembered from that summer, my four big brothers had been in our summer cottage with my father, while my mother was working and I was alone at home. So, my uncle Tom took me to my grandfathers farm and we stayed there the rest of the summer.

Or, did I remember it wrong? My head started to hurt, so I leaned forward and let go of Fili's and Kili's hands. I closed my eyes and leaned to my hands, as a picture of smiling woman, no a smiling _dwarrowdam_ was looking at me and and then she started laugh. I could hear her laugh in my ears, see her blue eyes fill with joy. Blue eyes, dark hair and that smile. Like Thorin's.

"Aunt Dis" I whispered, when the name came to me like lightning had just stroke and lifted my head from my hands. Dis... Dis, daughter of Thrain, sister of Thorin and mother of these two idiots. I looked down at my palms and felt tear drop from my eye. The memories from grandfathers farm started to fade, as new one's took place. It all didn't leave at onces and it all didn't come back at once. Few, fragile memory. It would take some time, but I still remembered! I felt hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Fili, his own eyes shining and sad smile on his lips. Then I turned to Kili, who was too already crying.

"I... came with Gandalf to the mountains. He found me from the same spot, where Bilbo found me and the girls. Near Shire... He... he had something to do in the Blue mountains, so he took me there with him. And then we met. While Gandalf was talking to someone... to Thorin, maybe...? You two showed me places and we met Dwalin. I thought back then that he was scary. Scary as shit" the words were leaving from my mouth, without me really realizing it. Fili and Kili let out a laugh. I turned to look both of them, frowning. Teras were dropping from their eyes, and big smilies rested on their lips. Then I realized why they had laughed. I had been afraid of Dwalin, and now I didn't even give two shits about him. What had changed?

"You remember.  _You really are our Ellie_ " Kili said and launched to hug me. Startled I sat there frozen a few seconds. Then when I had somewhat recovered, I patted Kili's arm and leaned into his hug. Then I felt other body lung to me. I turned a little to see Fili hugging me too.

"Now we don't need to try to be carefull around you anymore. And we can now openly remember that summer when you were causing a contempt in our oh, so peaceful village" Kili said, winking to me. My cheeck's turned to red. I had some remembrance of us three doing pranks and causing grey hair for aunt Dis, but I didn't have any memories of me being the main culprit here. Fili laughed and sat back down. Kili let go of me seconds later, having a big grin of his own. Right, they had brought the bad side of me out. I look between the brothers, awkward silence settling around us. Then one memory came to my mind. I turned to look at Kili, smiling myself as I remembered us near armory, Dwalin training with Fili and Kili showing me the few bows they had.

"You taught me! I can shoot with bow, because you taught me to!" I almost screamed and grasped Kili's hand. At first Kili looked startled, then he looked a little embarrassed and smiled shyly.

"Aye, that I did" he murmured. I had always thought that I had learned to use  a bow in a bow specialized club in next town. Well, I had been training there, but I wasn't never sure where my interest for the sport came from. And now the reason was sitting in front of me.

"Thanks to you, I managed to survive from so many dangerous situations!" I said, first smiling but then my face started to turn melancholic. Kili's face turned sirious and Fili appeared next to us, squating so he could see us better.

"Ellie, what's wrong? What happened when you got back home?" Fili asked, worry sounding clearly from his voice. I took a deep, fitful breath and look down at my hands, still gripping on Kili's arms. Then I started to tell them my story, from the day when I got back home to the day I came back to Middle Earth.

* * *

 Everyone in the terrace were looking at Mily and Vera quietly. They all knew that war wasn't easy, lightly taking matter. And the dwarves and twin prince's also knew, that war took many lives. A blink of an eye, and person next to you was died, may it be your brother, friend or complete stranger. Balin lifted his eyes to Vera and Mily and wondered, how these two (and Ellie) could still be happy, and so full of life. But then again, Balin didn't know them personally before the war had begun. War always changed people, no matter what their role had been in it. Bilbo, being the only one who hadn't seen the war, could only imagine what the girls had seen and felt. And he wasn't even sure if he wanted to know what it was like.  

"That... painting Dwalin found from Ellie's pack. Those men in it, who were they?" Ori asked carefully. Everyone turned to look at him, while Mily and Vera glanced at each others and then sighed.

"They were her family. The little girl was Ellie, and the four boys were her older brothers. And the grown ups were her parents and grandfather. That was the last picture she had from her family, the last thing where she could see the face's of her family and now it's gone. Now it's only a memory in her head and in her heart" Mily explained. Ori frowned, surely there would be more paintings of them.

"Like I said, there was a war in our word. We all back there have lost something. Ellie's father was a soldier, who worked in one of the headquarters. The building was hit by a explosive catapult like ball. The full house was destroyed and everyone in there died. Half of the soldiers couldn't be recognized, because they had burnt so badly in the explosion. Only a plate with personal code in their necklace helped to people to know, who they were" Vera told. Bofur went pale for this as he remembered seeing that kind of necklace in Ellie's neck.

"The plate is usually cut half, the other part going with dead person and the other part is sent to the family. The one Ellie is carrying is her late father's part. Ellie's father and my sister, who was a cook in that headquarters, died. I heard that Ellie's fathers body was burnt so badly that it was almost unrecognizable" Mily said. If someone wasn't pale by now, now they were. Thorin opened his mouth a little. He had seen what burnt flesh looked like. He remembered it.

"What about Ellie's other family? And yours?" Dori asked, eyeing the girls carefully.

"Well, as you already know, my sister died. Marissa was the only sibling I ever had, so now I'm the only child left. My mother and father are still alive, thought my father was badly wounded in battle. He lost his left leg and his left side had bad, deep cuts. He almost died for them" Mily began. Then she sniffed and turned to Vera, motioning her to continue. Vera looked at Mily and then the dwarves.

"My only brother, Samuel, died in the battlefield same day as Ellie's oldest brother, Richard, did. Samuel was engaged and one day the kindergarten, sort of place where parent's take their children for that time when they are working, was being fired by those explosive catapults. My niece, Marta, died there" Vera wiped quickly a tear from her eyes. "As for my father and mother, they are still alive, thought they still grief from my brother and niece"

"Of course they are. Isn't that only natural when such lost has come to you?" Dwalin said sounding more gentle that haughty. Vera rolled her shoulders, looking at bald dwarf. Of course they had right to grief, Vera didn't ment it like they shouldn't be. She only ment that they should still carry on living, like she had done. And what Ada, Samuel's fiancee, had done. Life must go on.

"Well, yes, but life must go on, at some point. You can't stay on put, or else you'll die too" Vera finally said it aloud, still looking at Dwalin. The bald dwarf just nodded slowly and then motioned them to continue telling about their families. Vera looked at Mily, who motioned Vera to talk. Vera sighed and then she turned back to the dwarves.

"As for Ellie, you already know about her father and oldest brother. Her second oldest brother, Noel, went missing in battlefield. No one knows what ever he was kidnapped by enemies or if he died and the body stayed there, well hidden somewhere. Either way, Noel was never found. Then her third oldest brother, Tony, died in the battlefield, when enemy's ambush took him and his company by surprise. Then, her youngest older brother and her twin brother, Jesse, disappeared  like ash to the wind. He was going to the company's command center, when he went missing. And his been missing ever since. And as for Ellie's mother... She couldn't take the sorrow of her dead husband and sons. She ended up taking her own life and so Ellie was left alone. Her grandfather had died few year's ago, and her only relatives were living in other country and couldn't take her in. Ellie was still too young to be living on her own for she was only 17, so she was marked as orphan in our nation's books. But because the leaders didn't want to sent her to her relatives and the orphanages were already full, she was left on her own. Like many other orphan child were. The nation confiscated her family's home and Ellie was left homeless. She took what she could and rest of the family's stuff was sold or destroyed. Ellie was left homeless and without her family. She lived in the streets and begged money, so she could by herself food. But after a few months, the so called patrols were hold" Vera was telling her friend's story as well as she could. Gloin's eye's were big and he looked horrified, Oin was staring at somewhere far away and taking in the news. Bifur, Bofur, Dori, Nori and Balin were looking down at the fire with sad looks on their face, while Bofur was opening his mouth and trying to figure out something to say. Ori was wiping a tear from his eye and turned then to Nori, who was patting his shoulder. Dwalin was eyeing everyone, thinking about Vera's and Mily's stories. Thorin was looking up to the moon, feeling numb. How someone with such a smile could have such a past. Bilbo was looking at the girls and then he turned to look at the two elves beside him. They were looking down, being in deep thought and showing sympathy for these girls. Then Bilbo's eyes went to the entrance and his hand shot up to his mouth, as horrid gasp left from his mouth.


	15. Drops of time

Dwalin heard the hobbit gasp and turned his head towards the entrance. The waterbowl in his hands dropped down, spilling over the water to his boots. His face fell and he was staring at the entrance, horrified. Everyone turned to look at Dwalin and then they turned to the entrance. Few gaspes left from someones lips and Ori threw his hand over his mouth. Oin looked absolutly horrified and Thorin froze, his eyes only widening.

"Oh, lass.... What happend to you?" Balin asked, being the only one who had found his voice. I walked to the terrace, Fili at my right side and Kili at my left. I had my black tank top on me, my tunic hanging on Kili's arm. The tank top showed my hands, shoulders and my upper chest wall. I still looked like my self, but the skin of my shoulders to my elbows, backside and chest was covered in pink. It had been once looked much worce, and had now healed to the pinkish state, and in that state it would stay.

"I guess the girls already told you about my family... When... when I was living in the strees, the patrols collected me and few other homeless people to 'werehouses', far from the city. The leaders and scientist's of my country had started to plan a human weapon for the war" I told them, when my voice finally broke. Teras were falling from my eyes, again.

The dwarves, Elladan's, Elrohir's and Bilbo's sad faces turned to confusion. They didn't quit understand what I had just told them, for their understanding of weapons were swords, bows and arrows. All the primitive weapons when compared for our world weapons. In hundreds of years guns had replaced the swords and bows. After the first Chinese guy had inveted gunpower, the weapon industry had started to get new lit. And now we were here, inventing a human weapon. I didn't want explain any of this to the dwarves, not wanting to know or even think how guns would change this world.

"A human weapon, ya say? Wha' do ye mean by it, lass?" Dwalin asked. He was looking at me, showing a little interest of this sort of 'weapon'. But when he saw how I had hard time to try to talk and how tears were falling from my eyes, he turned sirious. Then Dwalin turned to Vera and Mily.

"A human weapon is, well, as you may guess, a human that has turned to a weapon. Just think about a war, where all the soldiers in time get tired, they die or get badly injured. What the scientists and the leader's of our country are trying to invent is how to turn humans into an untouched, how to make them go without any rest or food for days or weeks without getting tired, and how to make them survive from deadly blows. Or even better, how to make the human recover from it without healers help. They want to make for these humans a healing factor, sort of system that helps them recover from any scartch, deadly hits, poison or disease. They'd be deadly, impossible to kill and would lead our world to it's final destruction" Mily explained as well as she could. She knew that this was hard to understand, if one didn't know how our world worked.

"That's impossible!" Dori breathed out, looking horrified. As did many others. For them, something like this was hard to believe.

"And what this has to do with Ellie?" Dwalin asked, looking like he feared the answer. Vera shot a quick, questioning look for me, and when I nodded to her, she stepped forwards.

"Well, making something like that doesen't succeed right away. The scientist needed test subjects for their research. And they, well these patroll's actually, collected homeless guy's and took them to werehouses, where they were used as test subjects. All of them were taken without their approval. None of them wanted to get there, even if it meant food and shelter" Vera told and was cut off by Balin.

"Sorry, lass, but I don't quite understand. Why use the homeless people without they actually wanting it. Why not use volunteered people?" Balin asked. 

"They could, but then they should remunerate to these volunteerers for anything that happens to them. Because believe me, sometimes things can get sour and fast. Their skin may peel off, they may lost their senses, legs, hands, their life... Some even got new limbs. So, first of all, who would volunteer for something like that, when something goes wrong with every subject. Second, the nation doesen't need to pay anything for homeless guys, who even are there for their own will. And, before anyone asks, the homeless are taken because they are wanted away from the streets. Depending of the city, there are numerous homeless living there. The less there is, the better" Vera was telling, feeling sick as she thought about what she had told.

"I don't understand. There is always going to be the poor one's. Even in Erebor lived poor people before the dragon came" Thorin said, not quite getting the idea. Mily sighed and looked sadly at Thorin.

"In our world an ideal city is where is zero homeless sitting near market and begging for money, aren't sleeping where they can and don't steal when they have no other choise. If there is something in your home that doesen't belong there, like a bug or dragon, what do you do?" Mily asked. The dwarves were looking at each others, before they even dared to answer.

"We... We kill it" Balin finally answered. Mily nodded.That is what almost everyone would do.

"In Erebor the poor might be poor, but did they have a place they could sleep, eat? A place to call home?" Vera asked, before Mily could continue. Thorin only nodded. No one had lived under a starry sky before the dragon, every dwarf had enough money to live in small chambers or with their family or friends. There was always someone to help the other.

"So, you kill the parasite in your home? Was that your answer?" Mily ensured. Thorin exchange looks with Balin and then he turned to look at Mily.

"Aye, we kill 'em" he said, not sure where Mily was getting with this.

"Well, you see, that is what the leaders do in our world. They see the poor, homeless people as parasites and want to get rid of them. And the best way to do it is to put them as test subjects. No one wouldn't miss them anyway" Mily said and grossed her arms. The dwarves looked horrified. Elladan and Elrohir looked almost angry and Bilbo had running many emotions on his face: anger, confusion and horror.

"How... How could they do that?" Ori asked. Vera turned to look at him, sad smile on her lips, while Mily was eyeing the others.

"How can you go and kill the dragon in Erebor? Some things change and you want them back as they were. The leaders in our world want the streets empty from the beggers like they were before the wars. You want to reclaim the mountain and rebuild it back the way it was before the dragon came. Both want the things back as they were, but will it really be the same after the damage has already done?" Mily said, then turning to look at me.

"There are people, who remembers the terror of war and the terror of dragon. The loss of your family, friends... They fear it might happen again. Next war might come, next dragon might want to take Erebor and it's treasure's. Or, something even worst might happen. Everyone just wants to be happy, but the events around you has put a fear in your mind and heart" Vera said. She hadn't meant it to sound so deep, yet it did.

"What does one do it that situation?" Gloin wondered aloud, not really asking it from anyone.

"You accept things as they are. You live on, for the sake of your family, friends, your king and everyone around you. You must not forget, but you must move on. You can do what ever you want with the dragon, but you must understand that things will not be the same as they were before the dragon attacked" I had found my voice. That had worked for me, not forgetting but moving on. I still remembered my time in the werehouse, where the scientists made their tests. And where they tortured us.

Gloin looked at me, his eyes looking at my face and my old scars. I saw the guestion in his face, that he didn't dare to ask. Fili was rubbing my back and looking at his brother. They both already knew about this. I had told them this after they had told me about the summer from eight years ago.

"The scientists were injegting some weird liquid in my upper body and it burnt my skin like acid. And as you can see, my skin never fully recovered. I don't know if it would have helped if I would have gotten some help from the healers. The scientists really didn't care, what happened to us. One older man lost his eyes. They had... I dunno... He didn't have eyes at all, he just had empty holes where his eye were supposed to be. Then there was this other guy, who had gotten crazy because of the tortue they did to him. The scientists were mentally breaking us, doing what ever they wanted. I met one girl once in the strees. She was orphan like me, probably in her teens. 13 or 14 years old. One scientist raped her and ment to make her his "slut". Every child she would give were supposed to be use in the research. Or that's what he said, when he got caught. I don't know what happened to that girl and her child. I got away there before she even gave birth, and... I don't know if they are still alive" I said, wiping tears from my eyes. Gloin lowered his eyes, shocked. Dwalin gritted his teeths and was pressing his hands into a fists. Anger had grown in most of the dwarves, as well in twin prince's. Bilbo had emotionless face and he was shaking, staring at emptiness. The memories took over my mind like a never ending nightmare and finally I broke down. I fall for my knees and soon Fili was there, hugging me close to him. The others took steps towad us, but Kili set himself in front of us, stopping the others from coming any closer.

Thorin was watching the scene in front of him, his mouth a little open. Fili hugging a young, crying girl and Kili being in front of them, his arms wide and trying to protect these two.

* * *

  _"You won't get her! You won't take her back there!" Kili's angry shout seemed to echo in green, grassy area. The Gray wizard was looking sadly at them, Thorin being a little further from them._

_"Eleanor belongs with her family, my dear fella" Gandalf tried to reason the young dwarf. Kili let out a little growl like voice and was glaring at Gandalf with angered eyes. Thorin stepped near his nephews, then turning to look at the Grey wizard._

* * *

 Thorin's glittering eyes turned to look the Grey wizard and elf lord behind Fili, Kili and me. The sadness in wizards eyes told that he had heard everything. Even the elf lords face turned to sad, when his eyes fell for the two figure on the ground.

"You should never have taken her back, wizard. She doesn't belong in misery caused by the wars. She belongs with us. There could have been a way to get her family here, you said that. Yet you sent her away" Thorin said, his voice cold and hard like it normally was when he was talking to the others. Gandalf opened his mouth and let the tears fall from his eyes.

"Yes, I am aware. And there is not a day I wish I could change that. Especially now" Gandalf said and then he lowered his eyes to me and Fili. Fili was glaring at the wizard, as was Kili. Mily and Vera were now confused, looking at Thorin and then Gandalf.

"Thorin, what are you...?" Mily started, but was cut off by Thorin's words.

"Nora belongs with us, with my people. We adopted her as one of our own and these past eight years we have thought her as one of us, in our hearts. We sung the songs of a lost girl, not remembering her name or her face. But now that may change. You won't take her away, not this time. Nora belongs with us" Thorin said, then lowering his eyes to me.

"She is one of us"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another fun fact of day: The names of the chapters come's from Two steps from hell's, Audiomachine's, various different other artist and soundtracks songs.


	16. Above and beyond

"What the hell are you talking abut? What do you mean that Ellie's been in Middle Earth before? And what do you mean that she belongs with the dwarves?" Vera growled. Everyone turned to look at her, being quiet. Vera had lost her track of the conversation long ago. Mily was somewhat on the track, but she was all too confused to progress it. But unlike Vera, Mily could still keep herself calm. Getting angry and shouting surely didn't help now. Mily lowered her eyes to me for a second, then she turned back to Gandalf and Elrond.

"And why hasn't she told us that she has been here before?" Mily asked calmly, and then she lowered her gaze back to me. Vera, and almost everyone, turned to look at me. "Why didn't you?" I opened my mouth to answer, but all my answers felt too simple or too rude.

 _"Because I didn't remember_ _"_   _"You wouldn't have believed it" "I just fucking remembered it myself, so how could I have been told you that before?" "Why don't you just ask that to someone else, I'm not the crazy one here"_  

"The reason might be, my dear, that when someone crosses the world's borders, they might forget their time in another world. I am not sure if this is because of the strong magic in our world and lack of it in yours, or if the Valar's simply don't want the person to remember their time in here and reveal our world in yours" Gandalf answered. Me, Mily and Vera turned to Gandalf and had a Good Graces, this world already IS known in our world -face, causing Gandalf to sigh and shook his head.

"You know very well what I mean. It might be a story in your world, but how many actually believes that Middle Earth exists?" Gandalf questioned. Vera and Mily exchanged looks and then Vera shrugged. Mily would have loved to point out that in Earth people believed in many things, may it be a religion or just a story, like The lord of the rings or Harry Potter for example. And she was already leaving out the kids, who believed in Santa and other fairy tail creature's. Even some older people might believe in them. Now the dwarves, Elladan and Elrohir looked confused. 

"A... story? What does that mean?" Balin asked, looking confused. Mily glanced to Gandalf, who lightly shook his head. Then Mily turned to Balin and shook her head.

"It's nothing" Mily said. The less knew about the fact that all _this_ was just a story in our world the better. And Mily understood, why Gandalf didn't want the dwarves to know about it. The information might change the course of this journey in ways that might affect to the world too much. The dwarves needed to reclaim the mountain and somehow kill the dragon, so that the dragon wouldn't join forces with Sauron. And the Mountain needed to be taken back so that the enemies wouldn't get there first and take over it, for it's location and it's wealth. And the fact that the events that would take over 60 years from now, if Mily remembered right, still needed to happen, well it wasn't worth to risk to tell to many about the stories. Bilbo didn't know that he would find THE ring and Gandalf had refused to listen over and over again when Mily tried to warn him. Elladan and Elrohir didn't know the plot in the stories, they just knew that this - their world - had been written in books in our world. And it was already bad enugh that we three were here, changing things.

"I only meant that the dwarves, the elves and the dragons do not exist in their world and are only in books and stories. What if one who has been here talks about them, and a word starts to spear. In their world the race of men has their own problems, and we have our own. I do not wish them to cross to another world or even worse, join forces" Gandalf explained himself. Balin frowned, as did many other. Elrohir turned to Gandalf and his father, looking both of them with question.

"Gandalf, you are aware that Sauron has been fallen. I doubt that he does get to his full force, not when the ring is lost" Elrohir said and glanced then to his father to be sure that he was right. Elrond stepped next to Gandalf and looked serious.

"The ring is lost, but it is still out there, somewhere. And until it is found, by the enemies or anyone else, nothing will change. Sauron will not get to his full strength. And we know there is no possibilities that he would join forces with men of Earth. Sauron knows that men's greed and wrath might accrue his own plans. And what I've learned of the men of Earth, they have hands full of their own problems, they do not wish to take part of war in other world when they have their own. Not when the war has nothing to with them" Elrond said. Gandalf frowned, but he said nothing. He wasn't going to fight about it now, not when there were too many ears listening. The terrace fell on silence for a minute. 

"So, you mean to say that Ellie didn't remember her being here, because of something or someone didn't want her to? So that anyone in our world wouldn't know about this place?" Vera finally asked. Elrond nodded.

"It might be one reason, why she doesn't remember being here. But we do not really know it either" Elrond answered and then he turned to Mily, who was looking at the dwarves. They were rather quiet and it amazed Elrond. Never had he thought that he'd see handful of dwarves, being so quiet and letting the others do the talk.

"There's one thing I don't understand... Gandalf said that we would forget our memories from the other world after arriving to the other world. We still remember everything from our world, so that doesn't make any sense. I had my memories last time too, when I came here" I suddenly frowned and looked up to Gandalf, who nodded.

"Yes, that is strange. There might be some expectations, that is all I can think about" Gandalf said, looking down at me. I frowned again. Strange indeed.

"Oh, and... What does it mean that she belongs with the dwarves?" Vera continued asking. Elrond and Gandalf turned to look at Thorin, who turned to look at Vera and Mily. Then he turned to look at me and his nephews. Vera turned to look at us too, locking finally her eyes with me.

"One day at the first days of summer, Gandalf came to Blue mountains with Nora. He had found her on his way there, near Shire, alone and hurt. While Gandalf was talking with me, Fili and Kili had met her and befriended with her. Gandalf told me that she came from another world somehow and she needed a place to stay while Gandalf tried to find a reason and if there would be a possibility to send her back home. Back then in that day we didn't know yet, how she came to this world. I didn't even believe that she was from another world. But Gandalf persuaded me to let her stay, because he didn't want to take her with him in the wilderness. So I let her stay. She lived with my sister and boys before Gandalf came to take her back and take her back to her home. At the time she stayed with us, we came to trust her. She was working, helping my sister with house work and doing the little things she could. She was a lonely child of men, without a family. By the time all the dwarves in Blue mountains started see her as one of us, or put it as simple, one of our people. That it is what it means that she is one of us. You could say that we adopted her. She's a dear friend to many. But at the ends of the summer, Gandalf returned. He had found a way to sent her back, and he emphasized that Nora had to go back. I offered her, and her family, a home with us, but the wizard thought better of it. She doesn't belong here, he said" Thorin said and then he turned to look at Gandalf, his eyes judging the wizards full essence.

Everyone were looking between the two, until Gandalf lowered his gaze to the floor. Thorin turned away, looking a little angry, for whatever reason he had now. 

"So, if you were ready to give her and her family a home, why was she sent back?" Mily questioned. Thorin turned to look at Gandalf, his appearance telling that the wizard was the one to answer this.

"I was afraid that while she was here over two months, her family was worried for her and were looking for her. And while I could have just brought her family here, I feared that this might set up bigger problems and soon we would have here more and more men from Earth. I feared, what that might do to us and to Middle Earth" Gandalf told. Mily shrugged, while understanding Gandalf's concern that some people from Earth would do more harm in here than just happily set in living in some town.

"And it seems, that after she returned, no one had noticed har disappearance and she didn't even remember being here" Gandalf mentioned. "Yet I still fear, what might happen, if wrong people would enter here. The time in Middle earth isn't right for have any more trouble" Thorin lowered his gaze. Every other dwarf were looking neither Gandalf and lord Elrond or me and the Durin brothers. After long, silent minute someone spoke up. 

"Mily said you were camping with your friends before you ended up here... Are you sure that it is that you three that ended up here? Are you sure that you're friend's didn't come too, but ended up in different place?" Dori asked carefully. I looked up to Mily and Vera, who were looking at each other. We had thought that when we were still in Bag End, but we weren't sure whatever others had come here or not.

"We... We don't know. It's possible, that they are here too. But really, we don't know what happened to them after we came here" Mily said. Dori nodded, turning his eye between Mily and Vera.

"If I may ask, why were you camping in middle of woods, if there was war going on?" Oin suddenly asked. I turned to look at my friends. Back then, when we had left to the camping, Mily had forcefully bagged my belongings and dragged me to the car. I didn't like camping and wanted to stay at Vera's place, but Mily and lady fortune decided that I should go.

"The forest, where we were, was far from the battle lines. And, there was a truce between our forces and the enemy at the time, so we thought it would be good time to go camping" Vera said.  _'We thought'_ So it wasn't just Mily, who wanted to go, but Vera too? I surely hadn't expect that, since Vera wasn't a type who might just go hiking whenever she wanted to.

"Well it was mostly my idea, and I got my cousin and her two friends with me. When I mentioned to Vera that we four were going camping, she insisted to come with us and take Ellie with us. She had been upset for long time and we wanted her to have other thinking, so... Camping did feel like a good idea. After the first night everything was fine, but then at the second night we three got transferred here" Mily was explaining. Fili was frowning.

"How did your paths crossed after she escaped from the warehouses?" he asked. I lifted my eyes to him and then turned to see Vera's eyes on me. I nodded to her and motioned her to talk.

"When Ellie's grandpa died, my mother and father bought his farm. I and Ellie knew each other from school, but that's when we started to get good friends. After Ellie escaped from the warehouses, my mother found her from the streets and after recognizing her, she took her to the farm, to our house. Ellie was hurt, but mum couldn't take her to hospital. They would have sent her back to the warehouses. Mily's mum is a medic and my mum called her to look after Ellie. Mily came with her mum, and that's how those two met. Ellie stayed with us, helping with the animals. She was.... After what happened in the warehouses did have negative effect on her, she was gloomy and depressed. She couldn't leave from the farm, otherwise someone would have recognized her.The months she stayed with us eased her mind, but we thought that getting her to somewhere else would cheer her. So, what's better than going to the forest for camping?" Vera explained. Bilbo frowned and took few steps so he could see me. I was eyeing him and then I turned to see literally everyone looking at me.

"Ya know, it's hard to believe that ye are the same girl as what Vera just tol' us" Dwalin said, grossing his arms under his chest.

"Indeed"

"Aye"

"She's so happy and sweet, it's hard to believe..."

"I know, my dear Ori"

"Being with grumpy dwarves surely doesn't make one happy..."

"Oh please, Gloin, not everyone are so grumpy"

The dwarves broke, finally, speaking. Elrohir and Elladan were rolling their eyes, while smile broke on lord Elrond's lips. Gandalf eyed Bilbo, who came to me, Fili and Kili and crouched in front of me and Fili.

"You know... it's hard to believe that you are really that same lass Vera and Mily were talking about. I really wish you would stay the happy lass you showed to be, and not turn back to gloomy one" Bilbo said. I let out a mixture of sob and a laugh. I wiped a tear from my eye and smiled to Bilbo.

"It's actually thanks to you I'm a little happier now" Fili was murmuring something about "a little" and me being the happiest person in the group, but I decided to ignore him. For now. "When you found me, Vera and Mily, I knew we were safe. I mean, of course I knew it already when Gandalf saved us, but I know Shire was safest place and... back then I thought that if I could stay there, I wouldn't need to worry anymore for hiding and being in danger. And you were so kind towards us. So, thank you Bilbo" I said and then went and gave him a hug. Bilbo let out a little laugh and patted my back.

"Ya know, lass, after we shoo the dragon out of Erebor and rebuild it, Erebor is going to be safe too" Bofur's voice called. Bilbo patted my back one more time, then he let go of me and stood up, taking few steps away from me and turning to the dwarves.

"Are you really comparing a mountain to a grassy hills?" Bilbo asked, putting his hands on his hips. Vera grinned and let out a little laugh.

"Now I didn't mean it like that, lad. I only meant that there's more safe place's, not just Shire" Bofur said, lifting his hands up for defense. Mily shook her head and was smiling.

"Rivendell is a safe place" Ori piped up.

"Aye, but there's elves in 'ere" Nori grumbled.

"And they eat green food!"

"Aye"

"Why don't they have any chips?"

"'cause they aren't green food, ye idiot"

"But potato is healthy, on it's own way"

"So is meat, Bombur"

The dwarves broke up to talk once again. Mily sighed and Vera rolled her eyes. Then when Mily yawned behind her hand, Balin took a step towards them and turned to look at elf lord and the grey wizard.

"Maybe it's time to retire for this night? We all could use some rest" he said. Lord Elrond turned to look at Mily and Vera once more, then he turned to look at Balin and nodded.

"Indeed. We shall talk more tomorrow then" he said and then he turned, Elrohir behind him after he had said his good nights to the group. Elladan turned to Vera and Mily, who exchange looks. Then they turned to look at me. I had finally stood up, with Fili's and Kili's help.

"Go on, I'll be fine. Good night, girls" I said and smiled up to them. Mily sighed and then she nodded. Vera looked little worried, but she knew to leave me there where I felt most safe. And it was right here, with Fili and Kili. Thank God they had dragged me here earlier. 

"Fine then. You two, take care of her" Vera said, pointing at Fili and Kili. They nodded, looking far too serious. Elladan left, Mily and Vera behind him. Vera patted my shoulder and Mily gave me a hug, and with a good night they were off to their chambers. Gandalf, who had stayed behind, turned then to look at me, Fili and Kili.

"Before I take my leave, I need to ask, how much do you remember?" he questioned. Grumbling came from the dwarves. Gandalf shot them a glance and then he turned to look at me.

"Not everything. A memory from here and there. Most of them are still foggy" I told him. Gandalf nodded and then he turned to look at the dwarves, who were now glaring a holes in Gandalf. He sighed.

"I was only doing what I felt was the best for her and for the folk's of Middle earth. If I would have known what would happen to Eleanor, I would never have sent her back and I do regret it, but what is done is done" Gandalf said. Dwarves huffed and turned to put their bedrolls on place. To my surprise even Bilbo had put his bedroll down. I was sure he had received a chambers too, but for some reason he was sleeping with us.

"Well, I'll be off. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night" Gandalf sighed and left. I smiled and then yawned myself.

* * *

 

The group of dwarves were mostly sleeping. Kili was sitting on sort-of an sofa, I was sitting on my bedroll and leaning to the sofa and sleeping and Fili was sleeping next to me on his bedroll. Kili was smoothing my hair and looking at the distance. Other side of terrace Thorin was laying on his bedroll, looking at us. Near him Dwalin was sitting on next to the terrace's railing and looking over to landscape.

"Thorin..." he finally murmured. Thorin turned to look at his friend, addressing him. "Is it alright that I take Vera under my protection?" Thorin felt a little smirk grow on his lips. It wasn't likely from Dwalin to be uncertain of something. And this was yet so simple thing, protecting one lass on the journey.

"And why wouldn't it be?" Thorin asked. Dwalin turned his eyes to Thorin and grumbled.

"Forget I never asked it" he murmured, turning back to the railing. Thorin let out a little chuckle and turned, closing his eyes. This had been long day and he welcomed sleep with a sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Ellie spent her summer vocation in Middle Earth, and yes it took her over a two months. From where I am from, the summer vocation starts in last Friday/Saturday of May (or first's days of June, depending of the state of school one is in) and it ends after few weeks of August (or at some point of fall, again depending of the state of school). I don't know how the summer vocation's go in other countries, so had to point this out.
> 
> Someone pointed out that Vera and Mily aren't much in the spotlight. I'm aware of this. There will be time, when I'm writing more from one of them and less from the other two. The first 15 chapters were more for Ellie's spotlight, since I had to re-think the rest of the story. After this chapter there will be more from Mily and Vera.
> 
> If there's any questions or anything someone liked to know, let me know.


	17. Morning glory

Vera sat on her bed, looking at old picture on her hands. Elladan had taken her and Mily back to their chambers, like he had promised. But only now Vera found out that she couldn't sleep. The scene from the movie earlier today had changed. When they had escaped from the orcs and those horrific monster-like dogs.  _Wargs_. And Vera was scared, not only the orcs and whats not outside of Rivendell that wanted to kill them, but the future too. What route they were going to choose now, when they had the ponies? Would they still take cover near the goblins cave? And what about the ring? Bilbo found it in the movies and in the book, but this...  _this was real_. It did feel like a dream, even they had been here over a month by now. Vera turned her eyes back to the picture. When had she turned to look at a wall? She didn't know.

"She must feel horrible" Vera mumbled, touching carefully the picture. Under her fingers were her brother, Samuel, herself and her other two siblings she hadn't mentioned earlier. She wanted to tell about them, but she didn't know what to say about them. One day they just weren't there anymore. Her beloved sisters.

* * *

 Mily slept better than in ages. Well, what can one expect when one sleeps in soft, comfortable bed instead of hard or muddy ground, full of bugs and shit like that. And she was clean, felt herself oddly far too safe in here. And for once she could eat vegetables! Well, Ellie's apples had been welcomed surprise, but Mily did enjoy this fully vegetarian food. Unlike everyone else. Ellie had been eating her food with no complain, thought her face cave out that she didn't enjoy it much. And then there were the dwarves and Vera, who all had been complaining about the food, more or less.

 After getting up from bed, brushing her hair and braiding it with a simple french braid and changing her nightgown to white silk dress, top stopping above her chest, showing her shoulders. Sleeves dropped above her elbow and the hem of the dress stopped right under her knees. Mily had fallen in love for the dress when she had seen it. The maids had brought her few more dresses last evening, since no one really didn't seem to know when the company was leaving. And they had brought her new travelling clothes too: brown tunic, black leather jacket and warmer winter jacket, black trousers, belt and dark brown boots which, according to Elladan, suited more for travelling.

Mily had tried the clothes on last evening before she had dressed in her nightgown. And she even tried the boots. They fit her and were almost like made for her. How the maids knew her size - and even the size of her foot were beyond Mily's understanding. Rather someone could tell others sizes just looking at them or then this had been just far-too-good-coincidence.

Mily was just about to leave from her chambers to check if there would be breakfast, when loud scream echoed in the corridor, not farm from her chambers. Mily opened the door and peeked out, only to see flash of Ellie as she ran past of the room. Mily's eyes turned to follow her friend, her eyebrows raised as high as they could go.

"LAAAASS! GET BACK 'ERE!" Dwalin's angry voice called. Mily turned her head to other direction, only to see Dwalin and almost every dwarf from the company chasing Ellie. When the company passed Mily, some turned quickly to nod to her, and then continued to purse down Ellie. Only Bofur stopped next to Mily's door to catch his breath.

"Well, look a'ye, miss. The prettiest flower in the field has finally showed 'erself" Bofur teased and winked. Mily felt her cheeks burn up and she automatically turn up her nose.

"Awe, Bofur, ye charmer" Mily said mockingly. Bofur laughed and turned then to look at the direction where the others had run off. They could still hear the shouts of the dwarves. Mily sighed and leaned to the door frame.

"Dare I to ask what that was about?" she asked, causing Bofur to turn to look at her in confusion. "You know, you guys chasing at Ellie. I could understand if Fili and Kili would be running with her too, but she was alone" Bofur let out a little laugh. Fili, Kili and Ellie had been doing few little and 'harmless' pranks on their journey. They had always done it together, never alone. So by now no one couldn't even think one of them doing something alone. It was almost a taboo of it own, something what just could not happen.

"Let's just say that we got rather... interesting wake-up this mornin'" Bofur said with a little smile. Mily raised her eyebrow, not sure whatever she wanted to know the details or not. She let out a little humming voice and turned to look back to the direction where the company had ran off to.

"Care to join me with breakfast, m'lady? Am sure yer hungry" Bofur suggested suddenly. Mily nodded happily and smile down to the dwarf.

"Sure. Are you going to tell me more about how you were woken up?" Mily said. Bofur looked up to her, having a little smile. Not that humorous one, but rather just a small, annoyed one.

"Might tell, since I already started. Shall we?" he said,  offering his hand. Mily took it and so they were off.

* * *

I was running like there was a fire under my butt. But rather than having a fire under my butt, I had nine angry dwarves chasing after me. Their shouts echoed behind me, yelling me to stop. Joke on them, I wasn't going to stop. I'd rather run to Erebor than wait for them.

And they had gotten angry over nothing!

I had been one of the first ones who had woken that morning. Thorin, Balin, Fili and Kili weren't there. And Bilbo was sitting on his bedroll, reading a book. The sun was already up, so it was a miracle that everyone else were still sleeping. When I had woken up, I had noted that I had fallen asleep while I had been sitting next to the sofa. I remembered how Kili had been stroking my head and I kind of just drifted to deep slumber. Well, I had managed to fall asleep after that... quite interesting episode.

Bilbo noted that I was awake, mouthed me  _"Good mornings"_ and after I had returned it to him with a small smile, he continued to read. I crapped few thing from my backpack as silently as I could and then I left from the balcony. I felt like I needed time to myself. I used my time taking photos with my phone and looking around. I even managed to get a picture of Thorin and Balin talking beside a fountain. Neither of them hadn't noted me, luckily. I looked down at them, wondering where Kili and Fili were. While it was kind of them to let me sleep, and don't get me wrong, the sleep had been more than welcome, I still wished to spent as much time with them as I could.

"Why do I seek to spent so much time with them?" I murmured, still looking at Thorin's figure. I wanted to understand why I was so attached to them.

"You talking about Fili and Kili?" Vera's voice called. I turned to look at her, letting out a little whistle. Vera had dark green dress with lace pattering, with off-shoulder like neckline, sleeves dropping few centimeters under her shoulder and hem dropping just under her knees. Black boots seemed to complete her dress and made her look pretty after the time they had spent in the wilderness.

"Now I'd tap that" I said with sly, devilish smirk. Vera rolled her eyes.

"You should try a dress too. These are quite comfy, to be honest" Vera said and swirled. I let out a snarling like sound. While I liked dresses and even wanted to try on one, one part of me didn't want to wear one.

"Nah, I dunno. Besides, its easier to do pranks with pants on" I joked. Now it was Vera, who let out a snorting like sound.Then she turned to look down and saw Balin and Thorin. For a few seconds she just stared down at them and then finally shot her gaze back to me. 

"I assume you were close with Fili and Kili when you were here before. That would explain why you three got so close in no time. To be honest, it was pretty strange of you to befriend them so fast. I always thought you didn't trust others" Vera said. Her voice was firm, eyes locked with mine. I was leaning to railing, looking back at Vera. She was right, I didn't trust others after what had happened to me. But back in the Shire, back in Bilbo's home, I just knew I could trust them. It was like my subconscious had told me it was ok to trust them. And I had seen the movies, I knew what they were like.

"Yeah, I don't trust others easily. But they were my best friends back then. And yeah, I guess that's why we started to be friends. Again. Our subconscious told us that this person is your friend, even that we didn't remember it" I told her, offering a little smile. She shrugged, accepting the explanation. "And hey, you're welcome to the club. We could use extra hands in our pranks" I had to add. Vera sighed.

"Sure" she said. Our little talk was interrupted by Balin and Thorin, who had by now noted us up here.

"Nora, Vera, go and fetch the company, the breakfast will be served soon!" Thorin shouted to us. I and Vera looked down, seeing one elf just to leave from the fountain. I waved my hands to them and after shouting  _"Aye"_ to him, I and Vera walked back to the balcony. Vera peeked to the balcony, seeing how Dori, Ori, Oin and Bombur were already awake. Dori and Ori were quietly talking with Bilbo, while Oin was looking over the balcony and Bombur was munching something, where ever he had found the food. Vera entered to the balcony, myself sneaking behind her. Vera turned over to me and was about to say something but closed her mouth instead. When I uplifted my brows, she just simply pointed at my shoulder. I turned to look and saw this god damn big spider happily sitting there. Or standing, it really wasn't sitting. I screamed, slapping the spider of my shoulder only that it was cling to my hand now. I screamed again and started to wave my hand.

"Hey, don't bring it here!" Vera said, backing off from me.

"The hell are ye lasses doing?!" Dwalin's angry voice called over. I turned to look at him, still in panic. Dwalin's eyes seemed to soften a little as he saw my panic.

"Waking you up?" my mouth worked before my brains. And gone was all the softness and caring from Dwalin's face. He snarled and glared me, everyone else gathering around him. "I-I mean... Breakfast is ready, so... Yeah...?" Someone let out a snarl, but other than that, it was quiet again. Well, this was awkward. I pursued my lips, turned and took few steps.

"Lass..." Gloin's warning voice called me. I turned to look at him over my shoulder, only to see how the dwarves were getting closer to me. I turned my head back to the doorway and ran. Only Bilbo and Vera stayed there, looking after us and then to each other.

"Umm... Breakfast?" Vera said to Bilbo and he just huffed.

"Well, why not" Bilbo answered and got up, following Vera to the doorway.

While I was running past the place where I and Vera had been just a moments ago, Dwalin leading the other dwarves just behind me, down at the fountain Thorin and Balin were still talking and waiting the company so they all could go together to eat. The shouting's of the dwarves got their attention and they looked up just in time to see me running around the corner, the dwarves behind me.

"What in the..." Balin breathed out. Thorin sighed and left from the fountain, patting Balin's shoulder. Balin smiled and shook his head. "Those two really have teach 'er well" Balin mumbled and turned to leave too.


End file.
